A Life to Serve
by Low Candela
Summary: My first story. An AU work. Marceline buys Finn as a slave at a young age, not completely sure of her motivation. How will Finn's twisted psyche develop as Marceline molds him into her perfect servant. Rated M for suggestive themes (possible lemon later), and likely violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings one and all, my pseudonym is Low Candela. This is the first story I have written for and published on this site, as such I suppose it is something of an experiment. If you've any thoughts at all on my story, I welcome you to share them. My being new to this game, I could probably use all the advice I can get. I plan to rate this story as M, for later themes and a possibility of 'Lemon' if I am using the term correctly. Without further delay, on with the story.**

**Chapter 1**

Heavy clouds loomed sullenly over the plains, denying those below the pleasure of direct sunlight. Most would associate such dreary weather with sadness, but the young woman staring up into the overcast thought differently. She couldn't even tolerate the sunlight, much less begin to enjoy it. So it was these gray days she relished, allowing her free roam of the world at an hour when she could actually interact with others. She regarded the clouds for the freedom they allowed her in the otherwise inhospitable daylight hours.

"Funny," she murmured as her thoughts turned toward her current agenda. Here she was thinking of the power she had to wander about freely, while conversely her plans for the day would be in direct opposition to the notion of freedom.

The girl stood in the middle of a large bazaar, a mass gathering of merchants and tradesmen, situated on the rim of the Great Plains of Ooo. Just about everything one could imagine could be bought and sold here, from clothing to armor, potions to exotic pets, ancient texts, magical items and even narcotics (if you knew the right people, at least). But the girl did not come to browse, she had a very specific purchase in mind. She was here to buy a slave.

Slavery in Ooo, though not always held in high regards, was technically legal across the continent. Some have tried to abolish it, but more often than not the opposition forces are always too great to make any real progress. Influential proponents of slavery argued that Ooo's fragile economy would collapse completely without a source of cheap labor, and perhaps they are right. Still, most kingdoms have imposed strict regulations on the trade to ensure the system is not abused. Most slaves come from debtors and minor criminals. However certain loopholes exist that allow for some rather unscrupulous exploitations of the system. No age limitations exist, meaning there is a decently sized market for children slaves, most of whom are orphans.

The young woman pushed her way through the throngs of citizens, ignoring the merchants and con-men desperately trying to shill their cheap merchandise and services. She had experience shopping here before, and would not be distracted by petty trinkets. She knew to keep her eyes straight and her feet moving. The bazaar was not a place for the timid. An inexperienced customer could be easily overwhelmed by an over-stimulation of the senses. The entire market was constantly buzzing with random chatter, deals being made, strange music playing and all other manner of noises. Exotic scents followed a person at every turn, spit-fired boar blending seamlessly into perfumes. Bright colors attract ones ayes every which-way, tents are adorned with vibrant cloth and shiny ornaments.

Just as exciting, or perhaps merely as strange, as the caravans were the people crowding the market, if they could even be called that. Brightly colored humanoids mingled with talking candy pieces and bipedal animal-folk interacted with sentient rocks. All kinds of things you or I would regard as strange walked about, completely uncaring of the extreme differences between themselves, and indeed what you or I would consider normal would, at best, be considered exotic by them.

As always, upon pondering these differences, the young woman pulled her hood lower over her face. Even amongst a crowd of mutants and monsters, she would be regarded as the strange one, and preferred to avoid any curious glances or hostile glares. Her kind, though fairly well known by this point, still drew a considerable deal of fear from the general populace, and though she was equal before the law, many individuals would still prefer to treat her with open hostilities. It was easier to simply don a cloak.

Finally she came across what she was looking for. She stood before a walled area near the heart of the market, a notable oddity when the rest of the bazaar appears so open. The bazaar had no appointed police force, so merchants and companies desiring protection would have to hire private guards. They could often be easily distinguished by their generally dull but still sturdy armor. One such mercenary stood outside the only small door leading into the enclosure. As soon as the girl approached he pulled back a bar and opened the door for her…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Though no stranger to the general workings of the bazaar, the girl had never been to this section before, and took some time to orient herself to the layout. Few tents stood here, the little that did remained fairly close to the entrance while a couple were spread out at random amongst the rest of the yard. The majority of the area was covered by small cages, each just large enough to allow an average sized humanoid room to walk a few feet. Almost every cage contained a person within. Men and women, children and adults of nearly every species made up the selection. No prejudices were prevalent among slaves.

Leisurely strolling along the path, the girl casually observed the myriad of potential purchases, none really catching her eye. While she browsed she began to think of exactly what had possessed her with the desire to buy a slave. A few notable reasons came to mind. She supposed what was chief amongst her reasons was a sense of loneliness she had been feeling of late. The girl had far more years under her belt than her looks would suggest. Her astounding longevity allowed for a great many people to come into and out of her life. Sometimes she would desire to spend years surrounded by people, only to later decide to seclude herself for a decade or so.

But finding a simple companion to keep around always seemed to turn sour in the long run. It always seemed to follow a pattern. Everything would be ecstatic for a while, the sense of belonging, of having someone to stand by your side always promoting a sense of euphoria, at first. Then differences in opinions would be discovered, which would always lead to petty fights. Arguments would come more often, and were always more heated than the one before. And all the frustration she could feel because of her companion would snowball until she couldn't stand the sight of them anymore.

So she got an idea in her head, that the best way to remedy this was to find someone whose social position was clear, someone who was and would always be her social inferior, someone who would always have to acknowledge her as right, who could never turn on her. She wanted a slave.

The girl came to an intersection, looked to her right and took note of the first people she had seen in here that weren't in cages or armor. An extremely gaunt looking fellow, though rather tall, was busily shaking the hand of a much shorter creature who seemed to be a living berry. He released the other person's grip then quickly dropped a small object into their hand. The apparent patron began to walk back towards the gate while the tall fellow turned and took notice of the young woman, and then immediately rushed over to her.

As he came into focus the girl was able to distinguish more of… him, apparently. The man was at least a head taller than the girl, but still almost twice as thin as her already slim figure, his skin tinted a light blue. He had very thin handle-bar mustache and beady black eyes, yet approached her with a very welcoming smile. He was dressed much the same as the other merchants, comfortable yet sensible attire, suitable for business or leisure, and wore a fez atop his seemingly bald head.

The man strode up to a polite distance, giving a small bow to the girl and introduced himself. "Welcome Madame to my humble business. I am Adem Atalay, proprietor of the finest 'service institution' in all the Great Plains. I have servants for all manner of tasks. Do you seek something for domestic use, or perhaps you are looking for something better suited for heavy labor?" The man spoke with a strange accent, something the girl couldn't exactly place, only that it sounded…foreign.

She suppressed a small chuckle at his mention of a "service institution" as he put it. She personally had no problem with slavery, but found it silly that politicians and tradesmen, though completely comfortable with the business of buying and selling people, took such strenuous steps to call it anything but slavery, as though by simply not using that term they were somehow more justified in their actions, that it was somehow less wrong.

Not having given much thought to what exactly she wanted, she simply explained to the man the vague preferences she had desired at the moment. She spoke in a clam, yet extremely dignified, almost haughty voice, "I don't have a very good idea of what I would like. I suppose I'd want one somewhat young. Not quite a toddler, but a child." Thinking back to her previous distaste for what she had seen so far she added, "And something somewhat… different from what you have around here. I haven't really seen anything that impressive."

Adem's smile lessened noticeably, but the girl caught a certain gleam in his eye, the kind of gleam only a merchant would get when he moves in to make a final deal, one that's often hard to refuse. Today, she took this as a good sign. Adem's grin returned, and replied in a rather smug tone, "I believe I have something you'll find very fascinating, but I'll be honest, it's not available to those with light pockets, if you catch my drift."

To a woman of her stature, money was no object. She decided to demonstrate this to really get her point across. The girl pulled a small, black, circular container from within her cloak. She opened the lid to reveal it was filled with fine cut gems. The merchant's eyes grew huge as he locked onto the treasure. He started to perspire. He looked back to the woman and offered a genuine smile, "Right this way Madame."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Adem led the woman to the far corner of the camp, were a medium-sized tent stood. Pushing aside the tent flap, he ushered her inside. The interior was dim, the roof of the tent appeared to be mesh as opposed to solid canvas, letting in some of the already low light from outside. This did not inconvenience the girl, who was quite adept at seeing in low light. Looking around, she noted the tent appeared empty except for one corner which contained a single cage, probably not even half the size of the rest outside. Within that cage appeared to be a small figure, sitting down with his face buried in his knees and his back to the tent entrance.

The girl looked questioningly at Adem, who only returned her gaze with an even cockier grin. Adem walked towards the cage and pulled a small object from his pocket. The girl saw him thumb the small device, immediately after which the figure in the cage seemed to seize up for a moment before collapsing to his side. "Straighten up Boy! You have a potential buyer." Adem barked at the figure.

Immediately the boy was on his knees, facing both the merchant and the girl. The boy kept his head bowed slightly, and kept his eyes glued to the floor, but now the girl could make out more of his features. He was, obviously, a male, very humanoid in appearance, extremely thin and appeared to be around 8 or 9 years old. He was dressed in ragged shorts and a shit, both blue, as well as ratty sneakers, exactly what one would expect of a slave. He had long, dark blonde hair which should have easily fell to his shoulders were he to raise his head, but for now only served to hide his facial features.

The girl didn't fail to notice that there was something odd about him, and approached the cage herself to get a better look. She came to within a half-foot of the bars, then went to one knee to get closer to his eye level. In response the boy only bowed his head further. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curved into a slight frown. 'What is so special about this boy?' she thought. Needing an answer she addressed the boy, speaking in a tone that carried both unquestionable authority and a sense of serenity, "You, boy, raise your head."

Not one to ever ignore a direct order, the boy lifted his head to meet the eyes of the girl. Piercingly bright blue eyes gazed into her own scarlet ones. The girl let out a near inaudible gasp as she took in the boy's facial features. His face was covered in dirt and his eyes had large dark rings below them. A cut led down a short way from his bottom lip. But none of that changed the fact that the boy was captivating.

'Is he a…no, that's impossible.' The now perplexed woman thought. As though he could read her thoughts, though far more likely by sheer coincidence, Adem spoke up. "This is the finest prize I have in my lot. A rarity the likes of which I'm sure you'll never find anywhere else. A living, breathing… human."

The girl was baffled. "How can that be possible? Humans haven't been seen alive in… centuries, at least!" Adem replied, "I admit, I am not sure myself. The boy came into my possession about five years ago. I found him hiding in the remains of a sacked caravan, the traders already dead. I took him then, but no matter how many times I've pressed him he refuses to speak about anything from before I found him." He grinned darkly, "Truth be told I honestly don't care about whatever he was before. But when I found him I knew he was going to make me a rich man. It simply took me this long to find someone who can actually meet my price."

The girl could only stare at the boy, baffled by this discovery. But easily enough, she shook off the shock and steeled herself. She had to have him. Now fully committed to the purchase, she turned to Adem. "I will take him. I believe we have already established that I am fully capable of covering the cost." Adem seemed to be in the verge of hysterics. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "If you'll please follow me, I'll show you to one of our business tents, there is some minor paperwork you'll have to fill out." he explained, leading her back towards the entrance.

"What about him?" the girl asked, referring to her new possession. "Not to worry. There is a standard procedure to be followed for every purchase. While we go deal with the paperwork, my employees will have your servant cleaned and readied for you. He'll then be taken by guards to the edge of the bazaar where you will meet with them, show your paperwork, and then be handed your servant." "Why such a complicated procedure? Why can't I just take him from here?" she questioned. "I assure you, this is for your safety as well as that of the merchandise. I'm sure I don't need to explain to you that there are some shady elements within the bazaar. After some rather unfortunate incidents in the past, we devised this new system to ensure maximum safety and satisfaction for our customers." The girl simply shrugged her shoulders in response as they came to the business tent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The boy could not believe what had just happened. Someone had actually agreed to purchase him! Normally whenever the merchant had shown him to a customer they had either been repulsed by him, or had never been able to come up with enough money to pay for him. And now, out of nowhere his life was about to change, again.

The boy could not begin to decide if he should panic or be ecstatic. The life he had known for the last five years was about to end. Sure, it had not by any means been a good, or even halfway decent life, but it was one he had grown accustomed to. Could he really adapt to a brand new situation? And what if his new owner was even crueler than the merchant. Sure he was beaten occasionally by the guards and was always kept in a cage or shackles, but at least he was fed every day, and kept indoors (or at least a dry tent) when it rained.

The boy did not have much time to dwell on these thoughts, however. A few minutes after the merchant and woman had left, a guard and two female employees came to fetch him. The boy knew what would happen, as he had seen many times with the other slaves that were sold. They would take him to the showers where he would be thoroughly cleaned by the women, always under the watch of the guard, not that he would ever try anything that could enrage them. Then they would lead him out the gate and… he did not know. He had never seen someone after they had left the camp. Once the guard had unlocked his cell, the boy left to follow them.

The girl walked back through the bazaar towards the southernmost exit, where Adem had instructed her to pick up her purchase. As she did she examined the small black object she had been given after all the paperwork had been dealt with. It was a small remote control, identical to the one Adem had, that he supplied to all customers along with their purchase. The device was quite simple, a dial was positioned near the top, and could be aligned anywhere along a half-circle of marks. A button placed below that was the only other significant feature on the device.

The remote was only meant to operate one thing, the collars that all slaves had worn around their neck. When activated, the collar would send an electrical current throughout the body of its host. The dial on the remote allowed the wielder to set the intensity of the shock, from a light reprimand, really just a slap on the wrist, to an incapacitating jolt that would rend the wearer unconscious.

As the girl continued her walk, her thoughts drifted back to the discussion she had with Adem regarding the security involved with the purchase. She had begun to think, if humans were so rare some uncouth elements may be tempted to try to take him. That would simply be intolerable.

She stopped at a tailor's tent, speaking before the merchant even had a chance to pitch his wares, an impressive feat here, "I need a cloak, a small one, but enough to completely conceal a child." The tailor could tell this woman was in a hurry, and made no effort to complicate a sure sale. He went back to his caravan and reemerged holding a small cloak. It was a simple one, thick black cloth covered the outside, enough to hold back heavy rain, but the interior was lined with rabbit fur. It looked to be about the size of the boy, if a little big. She handed over a few coins and took the cloak without further conversation, folding it neatly under her arm.

Finally finding her way to the south entrance, the girl spotted the guard with the boy, who looked nearly twice as small when standing next to the towering, armored figure. Reaching them she quickly pulled a form from her cloak and handed it to the guard. He gave it a quick once-over, obviously not really paying attention to the details. The girl guessed she could have handed him a hand-written post-it-note and he would have Ok'd it. Still, the guard seemed satisfied, and turned towards the boy, producing a key and removing the shackles from his wrists. With that the slave turned back towards the camp, and muttered quickly "Enjoy your slave."

The girl now had a much better view of the boy in the brighter light. He had been cleaned, as promised. With the grime now scrubbed away she could see his face more clearly, and she had been right. In a word he was stunning, almost beautiful. His hair, now clean as well, shone much brighter than it had in the tent, a brilliant golden-blonde, and hung softly down his neck to his shoulders. His rags had been traded for some slightly better garments. Though clearly old, they appeared to be in much better condition, but were otherwise much the same as his rags, a light blue shirt, darker blue shorts, and black sneakers.

Having no further business at the bazaar, the girl turned to the boy, who was staring intently at her. She couldn't quite read his expression. 'Is it fear?' she thought. 'No, it seems more like… anticipation.'

So now she had her very own slave to toy with. She decided to test the waters, so to speak. "Boy, what is your name?" He reacted very sheepishly for such a simple question, eyes drifting to the ground as he answered, "I… It's Finn, Mistress." He spoke in a very soft, subservient tone, and with a 'mistress' to boot. 'Well, he certainly seems to have been totally broken down', the girl thought, oddly filling her with a sense of excitement.

"Alright then Finn, we are going to be leaving immediately back to my home." The girl spoke softly, as if to entice Finn rather than order him. Finn merely nodded in response. But before they began the journey back, she suddenly stopped, "Oh, I almost forgot". The girl then pulled the small black cloak from her own maroon one and handed it to the boy. "Here, put this on and keep the hood up. I'd rather you stay concealed than travel as you are now.

The boy's eyes were huge as he took the cloak, slowly, as though afraid she would snatch it away and mock his gullibility. But when his arms returned to him, cloak in hand, all he could manage to do was run a hand along the soft fur interior.

The girl stood slightly confused as she watched Finn stare at the cloak, running his hand through it. Getting impatient, she obnoxiously cleared her throat to get his attention. Finn immediately came out of his trance and hastily threw on the cloak, terrified that he had ignored such a simple order. Immediately he offered his apology, "Forgive me Mistress. And… thank you." He spoke with more sincerity than the girl had ever heard from another living thing. She was a bit flustered. "Yes well… let's get going, we've wasted enough time as it is."

As they began to walk, the girl noticed Finn looking somewhat nervous, as though he was working up the nerve to ask her something. She thought it was actually rather cute to see him fidget around so much. Eventually his voice was able to reach her, though she found his question rather odd. "M… Mistress?" She glanced at him in invitation for him to voice his question. "Should I… know your name? So that I may properly address you?" he asked and then looked down, embarrassment clear on his face. She chuckled at the prospect that such a simple question could have such an effect on him. She replied, "For the record, I rather like being called Mistress. But I suppose you should know my name. That way you can always address yourself as my servant. Very well, my name is Marceline."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again good people. I have some notes on today's agenda before we begin the story. First, with my method of writing and the multiple general ideas I have for this story, you should expect this to be quite lengthy in the long run. This also means my story will likely be very slow built, but I do hope you'll bear with me. Second, I haven't really gotten a uniform feeling of how long to make chapters, but I always like to have at least a few thousand words, or a decent sum before I post. So most often I'll likely post a few chapters at a time. Lastly, I want to apologize if my formatting ever seems odd or poorly executed. I'm still getting used to how this site publishes story, and I've got to say I'm not a fan of the layout. But enough rambling, on with the story.**

* * *

After walking for just under an hour in comfortable silence, the duo found themselves in mountain pass. The setting sun was still well hidden behind the clouds, and a thick darkness threatened to overcome the land very shortly. Would they have continued along the main road, they would have reached the Rock Kingdom very shortly. But instead Marceline veered off towards a barely visible crag in the canyon wall. Her young servant on her heels, she led him into a very small cave.

In these conditions, the cave was pitch black. Although Marceline had no trouble seeing through the shadows, she recognized that Finn would not be able to navigate the cave. "We'll have to pass through here to get home. Here, give me your hand."

Receiving no immediate acknowledgement, Marceline looked suspiciously back to Finn. His expression seemed to be that of dreadful reluctance. She had no idea why he had such a problem with such a simple, completely reasonable command. Preferring for him to see logic than know dominance, she explained to him, "I know you can't see in here, and getting through here is dangerous enough when there's light. I can't have you falling into a chasm now can I?"

Finn nodded in agreement and stiffly offered his hand. When she took hold of it she could feel him tense immediately. After many moments, he seemed to relax enough for her to lead him. Marceline led him slowly along the path, always sure to point out where stalagmites pointed hazardously from the wall, or if they were nearing a pit, and at a few instances where they had to travel up stone steps.

The journey was becoming less dangerous by the minute as Finn's eyes began to adjust to the light and he could begin to make out some basic obstacles. Furthermore, Marceline could tell Finn had been relaxing more the further they went.

The cave was not long, but it was dangerous enough to deter anyone who wasn't well accustomed to its' layout. After roughly ten minutes of walking they came to a final small flight of stairs leading to a well illuminated exit. Crossing the threshold, the sight of their new environment left Finn gaping in wonder.

They stood at the edge of a massive cavern, easily as big as two football stadiums (though Finn would be unable to grasp the concept of such a measurement) and at least ten stories high. The cavern was situated within the mountain, as such no light could enter from the outside. Instead the cavern was illuminated by massive fungi, mushrooms as big as a house, spread all over the walls, ceiling and floors of the cavern, all giving off a relaxing blue glow.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Marceline said, interrupting Finn's thoughts. "I'm not really a fan of the sun, but that doesn't mean a like to live in utter darkness like some ghoul, so I found this cavern. These mushrooms produce a natural light that I've always found to be quite… soothing."

Finn nodded absentmindedly. Marceline smirked at his expression, feeling rather proud at his marvel of her hideaway. But for Finn this was more than some neat little spot. His world view having been severely limited by his enslavement, for him this was like stepping onto an alien planet. Nothing he had seen could even come close to comparing to this place.

Marceline shook him out of his daze, urging him to follow her to the North-West corner (oriented as North the direction they faced when entering the cave). After a short distance Finn could hear rushing water. He had failed to notice earlier the waterfall pouring out from high upon the West wall. The water collected in a small pond, which then led to a small stream flowing out and up towards the North. The stream led into yet another cave passage, and from there the water belonged to darkness.

Finn noticed that the whole stream seemed designed to segregate the North-West corner from the rest of the cavern. It almost seemed a deliberate rendering of nature because of what lay on the other side. A small bridge, elegantly constructed from dark red wood connected the two halves of the stream. Marceline led Finn across, his head just barely able to peek over the guard rails.

Situated in the corner stood a small house. It was a beautiful work of architecture, standing at two stories, those with a background in the subject would recognize it as Gothic revival. From what Finn could see, the main part of the house stood as a standard rectangular shape, but with the middle third of the front wall jutting out, large enough to account for a small room on each floor. A huge porch surrounded the entirety of the house, elevating it further by about half a story, and was ringed with ornamental fencing. The roof pointed sharply, its' edges molded with intricate detail. The whole house was constructed of more red wood, slightly darker than that of the bridge, and trimmed with dark purple. As a whole it seemed almost regal.

They reached the front entrance, grand double-doors, and Marceline opened them. She never bothered with locking her doors, after all there was a very small chance of anyone ever even finding the cavern. She directed Finn into the house, following close behind and closing the doors.

The interior was no less impressive. Flourishing patterns crested the walls, which were painted a soft golden-yellow. They entered into a hallway stretching clear to the other side of the house, at the end of which was a stairwell leading both up and down. Fixed lights at regular intervals along the roof illuminated the hall, giving it a very warm and welcome feeling. Two closed doors were placed along each side of the hall.

"Home sweet home" Marceline said softly. To Finn the house was as amazing as the cavern. He had never seen a place so fancy, and felt as though he were soiling the very ground with his presence alone. "Well, here we are," Marceline said as she turned to Finn. "Now let's just see what use you'll be to me."


	6. Chapter 6

Marceline led Finn through the first door on the left, leading them into the kitchen. The setup was extremely modern, and quite expensive looking. An island dominated the center floor while every inch of wall space was covered in counters and cabinets, a sink, dishwasher, oven and fridge, all top shelf equipment too. The wall to the right of the door had an opening showing into the next room, a dining room by the looks of it. A counter separated the two rooms, and a door in the same wall allowed for easy travel to serve meals.

Marceline spoke while Finn continued to get his bearings, "So Finn tell me. Did those imbeciles manage to teach you any valuable skills while you were with them, or did they really just leave you to rot all day?" Marceline had to know what tasks Finn was capable of, at least so she knew if she had to teach him anything. "Well yes, sort of." He responded. "I mean, sometimes I would have to help with cooking or laundry or cleaning and stuff." "Were you just preparing mass amounts of gruel for the rest of the slaves, or did you actually do any real cooking?" she asked. He responded, "Yes, sometimes, I mean, both. I have helped make food for the rest of the camp, but most times I helped cooking for the master."

Marceline scowled slightly at his choice of words. "Finn, I never want you to use the term 'master' to refer to that merchant or anyone else. He's not your master any more, I am. Got it?" she spoke somewhat threateningly. Finn immediately cast his head down in a bow, trembling he replied, "Yes Mistress! I… I'm sorry. It will never happen again."

Marceline slackened, loving how she could terrify him with just a few choice words. He was going to be fun to have around. "Good. So do you think you could prepare a meal by yourself ? You know, an edible meal?"

Finn visibly brightened. "Absolutely! The M… erchant, was kinda picky about his food. So I learned how to cook pretty well to please him." He explained, happy to think he could finally be of some real use.

Marceline smiled. "Good. Then I'll expect a decent meal at ten. That should give you plenty of time to get situated in here and prepare something. I was thinking a pasta dish tonight. When it's ready you may bring it to me in the lounge. That's across the hall to the left." And with that she left Finn alone. He looked at a microwave with a digital clock. The time read 7:49, giving him a little over two hours to scrape something together. Finn wasn't worried though, as he truly was an excellent cook. He turned to inspect the kitchen and take note of what he had to work with.

* * *

While Finn prepared her meal, Marceline went off to the lounge. She opened the door and flipped the light-switch, the dimmer already set to a low level. Marceline always preferred dim light. The lounge was much simpler in terms of design than other parts of the house, but was designed for comfort and relaxation. The walls were a darker red-brown, and had no windows. Actually, no room on the back end of the house had windows. They would have been unnecessary, only serving to show the stone walls of the cavern. The floor was covered in a soft brown carpet. A large entertainment center was placed in the middle of the back wall, holding a large flat screen TV. A video player was placed beneath that, and the shelves were completely lined with videos. A big L couch was placed facing the TV on its right side, slightly askew so the short arm was slightly pointed towards the TV. Parallel to the couch was a big reclining armchair. Both pieces were a light brown in coloration. Between the two seats was a medium sized coffee table. Besides those things the room was barren, no shelves or decorations hung from the walls.

Marceline kicked her shoes off to the side of the door and vaulted over the couch, landing comfortable on the cushions. Releasing a long sigh, she picked the remote off of the coffee table and turned on the TV, flipping to a news channel. A pig was shown discussing how recent trends in the economic market could indicate a resurgence of blah blah blah blah. Marceline didn't really care what was happening in the larger world, simply more content to have some background light and sound while she spaced out.

* * *

At a quarter to ten, Finn was putting the finishing touches on the meal. He had everything ready and placed on a silver serving tray. In fact Finn had noticed that besides the extremely high end equipment, the table-ware, serving-ware and utensils were extremely classy, all fine china, crystal and sterling. He had determined that she had some wealth to her name just from the fact that she could buy him, but he wondered just how much money she really had.

Putting that aside he gave the meal one last inspection, smiling to himself for how well he did. A plate piled with angel hair pasta with a homemade marinara sauce was placed in the center of the tray. A bowl of peeled apple slices was placed next to that. Below that was a smaller plate containing bread rolls and a pat of butter. Appropriately placed on the tray were a knife and two forks. Finally Finn filled a glass with water from the filter built into the fridge, and placed that on the corner of the tray. 'I hope this is enough to show her I'm useful' he thought.

Finn checked the clock one last time, seeing it read 9:53. With a deep breath to compose himself he lifted the tray and carried it to the lounge. Seeing the door open, he walked to the center of the room, finally spotting Marceline laying on the couch.

Taking notice of Finn and the delicious smell of the food he had, she sat up and smiled, "Ah wonderful. And you even managed to do it on time" she said glancing at the clock on the video player. "You may place the food on the table." Finn did so and stepped backed, waiting to receive further instructions. Marceline, however, lost track of him as she loomed over her meal. It really did appear truly impressive. Grabbing a fork, she twirled some spaghetti and raised it to her mouth. It was absolutely delectable.

She was about to congratulate him when she was interrupted by a disgusting growl. Looking over, she confirmed Finn was the source of the noise, more specifically his stomach. His extremely slim physique once again grabbed her attention. 'When was the last time he ate?' she wondered, guessing he at least hadn't been fed today, definitely not after she retrieved him. But that just left her to wonder why he wasn't eating now.

Catching his eyes briefly before he nervously looked down she asked him, "Didn't you prepare yourself any food?" At the camp, Finn had never eaten except when explicitly told he could, and even then it was never at the same time as the merchant was eating. Most days there'd simply be one specific time when all the slaves would be fed one bland, mass-prepared meal.

Not quite understanding her intentions, Finn quickly shook his head, "No!…No. That is, uh… I'll wait until you've finished, if you want." Marceline looked at him like she would an idiot. "That's just stupid. How much food did you prepare, is there more?" "Yes" he replied, "I wasn't sure how much you'd like so I made plenty more."

Seeing Finn still didn't understand what she was saying, Marceline let out an exasperated sigh. "Then go get yourself some food and come eat with me." Finn looked dumbfounded. Had his Mistress really just allowed him to share the meal he crafted especially for her? Even more incredulous, had she really invited him to eat in her company? Finn stared back at her nervously, "Wha… is that… are you s… really?"

Marceline was starting to understand how impossible this seemed to Finn. The merchant must have regarded him as lower than a dog, and that seemed to have been deeply imprinted on Finn's mind. Now, Marceline had every intention of abusing her power over him in any way she saw fit, but that didn't mean she couldn't be pleasant while doing so.

"Yes really" she replied with greater insistence. "Now hurry up and get some food. I can't have you keeling over from starvation." With that Finn finally retreated back to the kitchen to get his own meal, and Marceline was free to dig into hers.

Finn returned a short while later with his own tray of food, identical to Marceline's, and set it down on the table in front of the armchair. Sitting down he looked to Marceline and saw that she was already halfway finished. She noticed him looking at her, as if still needing a final confirmation that he was truly allowed to feed. She rolled her hand, indicating for him to just start already.

Finn stared at his silver tray, loaded with good food on nice dishes. He did not at all feel comfortable with this. This was the nicest setting and best food he had ever been offered. Even though he prepared it all, this was still far too much for a slave. But all the thoughts of how inappropriate this was vanished as soon as he had a bite of the pasta. The dish gave him a sensation he hadn't felt in a long, long time. With that he lost control, and tore into his meal like a starving wolf that had caught a lamb. After so long of barely subsisting on the barest minimum of provisions, the meal seemed poised to overwhelm Finn.

Marceline looked on him with equal parts revulsion and amusement. 'Wow, the kid's eating like he just got off a deserted island. Actually, he's probably coming out of worse than that.' she thought. On that note she returned to her meal. With good food to occupy them, the two finished their meals together in silence.

* * *

**Quick end note: I opted to not include Marceline's necessity to eat red foods, instead choosing to give her basic mammalian dietary needs. It seemed to fit my story better. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Salutations one and all. I've got three chapters to post today. But first, as always, my pre-show chat. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review, and to one very special person who even sent me a PM. People seem to be pretty intrigued wit what I have going here, so I'll do my damnedest not to disappoint. With these few chapters I've attempted to go a little further into characterization and interaction between the two. I've been writing instead of studying for exams. Huzzah! Oh well, on with the story.**

* * *

It was now nearing midnight as Finn finished setting the last of the dishes to dry. He had required a short tutorial to learn how to use the dishwasher, but it was a very simple machine to operate. The larger cooking implements needed to be hand-washed, and Finn was just placing the last pot on the drying rack. This was one of the most… eventful days of his life and had taken his toll on him, as was evidenced by his heavy eyelids.

His chore complete, he returned back to the lounge to see if Marceline had any last tasks for the day. The light had been turned off earlier, and now only the soft glow of the TV allowed Finn to see. Not immediately seeing her, he peered over the couch to catch her snoozing lightly.

Finn was content to leave her like that for at least a little longer, for now was the first time today since being called by the merchant he had had a chance to think to himself without the anticipation of a new order. Where else could his thoughts turn except to his new mistress. With her cloak shed and with no risk of her catching him staring, Finn was finally able to get a good look at her.

Finn could tell she was very pretty the first time he saw her, even in her disguise. Her face looked so serene, lost in slumber as she was. Her hair was as black as obsidian, and flowed down her back almost reaching mid-thigh. Her body was lithe, yet slightly toned. Her skin was smooth and incredibly pale, almost seeming to be a grayish hue. Presently she was dressed in a pair of tight fitting jeans and a deep cut white t-shirt revealing a hint of her chest, fair sized but not exactly ample.

While Finn appreciated her for her physical beauty, his thoughts turned to how she had impressed upon him in a day. 'She seems nice. Much nicer than the merchant. Smells better too. Plus she even let me eat with her! I guess serving her won't be so bad, maybe it will even be a little nice. On top of everything she looks like me. At least more than anyone else I've seen. The Merchant always said 'Hyooman' when he talked about me. Is she one? Man she sure is pretty.' He thought, unable to focus on anything but her.

But at that moment he noticed something odd that hadn't yet caught his attention. Something, rather two things seemed to be catching the light off the TV and glinting below her lip. Curiosity overwhelming embarrassment, he inched his face closer to hers. 'Are those… her teeth?' he pondered, observing the two pronounced canines extending just below her bottom lip. This brought to mind images of certain dog-people, many of whom had sharp teeth like hers.

Looking to the clock to see it read 12:32, Finn became aware of how long he had been watching her. Realizing she'd probably be much more comfortable in her own bed, he decided on risking waking her. He grabbed her shoulder and lightly began to shake her. Marceline began to stir from her rest, eyes slowly opening to reveal her new slave awakening her.

"You fell asleep on the couch here. I thought you might like to go to your actual bed." He said quietly. Rousing further from her sleep, she sat up and gave a deep yawn. "Thank you Finn, but what are you still doing up?" she asked, knowing how late it must feel for someone so young. "I was just finishing the dishes. Is there anything else you… need tonight?" he asked, interrupted by a yawn of his own. Marceline could tell he was exhausted. "No, and you should really get some sleep. C'mon, I'll show you to your quarters." She reached to grab his hand, and again Finn tensed dramatically. This time, though, he seemed to relax much quicker.

She led him into the hall, noticing that Finn had already turned out all the lights. 'They must have been too harsh on his eyes this late. It's way too dark for him to see. I gotta get some nightlights for the halls.' "Step carefully, we'll be heading up the stairs now." She said to Finn, who was too tired to even give a response. They reached the top and Marceline led him through a door to the left. The room was pitch black, so Marceline led him still to a far corner where she had prepared a bed. Guiding him to it, Finn collapsed on the soft mattress. Too tired to really take note of anything, the comfort of the bed immediately pushed him over the precipice into sleep.

Marceline threw a blanket over his form, then left the room to find her own. Normally she'd have no problem being awake at this hour, but she had to get up early today to get to the bazaar. As a consequence her sleep schedule was totally screwed up. Stumbling into her own room and bed, her last thoughts before passing out were of Finn. 'I think I may have made the best purchase of my life.'


	8. Chapter 8

Finn looked in horror as the wagon in front of him was engulfed in flames. Horses screamed in panic and sounds of pain and anguish reverberated all around him. Suddenly something hard slammed into his chest and he fell to the ground. He heard one last piercing "FINN!" before his head hit the ground.

* * *

Finn jolted awake then, heart racing and short of breath. Nothing new to him, he went about his usual awakening process, taking deep cleansing breaths to calm himself. Something was different this morning though. Usually when Finn awoke he would spend what free time he had stretching as best as he was able to work all the pain out of his body, but today Finn's body felt surprisingly refreshed. He then noticed he hadn't awoken off of the cold metal floor like usual, but was on something much softer. Finally he recalled all that had happened yesterday. He was no longer in the camp, no longer under the thumb of the merchant. He vaguely recalled being led into this room before passing out.

Coming into full consciousness, Finn was finally able to get a good look at the room he was in. Blue light filtered in through a window opposite Finn, illuminating the room. Finn looked down at himself. He was sitting up in a very soft bed, fitted with gray sheets. It was a single size, but seemed huge under his small body. A plush pillow still held the indentation his head had left on it. A black comforter had been haphazardly tossed over him, covering him.

The bed was placed in the corner, end facing the door leading into the hall, which was still half open. Looking to his left, Finn had a clear view out the window of the giant fungi sending their light through the room. A small nightstand with a digital clock was placed at the head of his bed. A wooden dresser was positioned next to the window, and a small desk placed next to that. The walls were a dark gold in color. Most people may have considered the room under furnished, but in Finn's eyes this was essentially his own palace.

He continued to marvel out his good fortune as he twisted to the side, feet dangling off the bed, just barely tall enough to touch the hardwood floor. He realized he hadn't even bothered to kick off his shoes before collapsing last night. He saw that the clock read… 9:07! How could he have slept that late, the merchant always had him up and working at the crack of dawn. Fearing he had overslept and would be late to whatever tasks Marceline had planned for him, he rushed into the hall. The upstairs hall layout was exactly the same as downstairs, except there was no front entrance, only a window looking out into the canyon. Finn took note that his room was at the far end of the hall.

Before he could stomp down to the ground floor however, Finn heard a small sound coming from the door opposite his. Pressing his ear to the wood, he confirmed that there was the unmistakable sound of a light, rhythmic breathing on the other side. 'Could she still not be up?' he wondered. Treading much more softly, he snuck downstairs to confirm that Marceline was not on the lower level.

Without his mistress to direct him, Finn was unsure of what he should do. At the camp, he would awaken every morning and immediately receive his first orders, and when he wasn't working he was kept in his cage. Deciding he couldn't just wait around for Marceline to awaken, he went to the kitchen to put away last night's dishes. That, however, took almost no time. He decided on seeing the rest of the house, hopefully he could find something to be cleaned or straightened.

Heading through the kitchen opening, he began his survey in the dining room. A large glass dining table, enough to sit three people on either side and one at each end, stood in the center of the room. Several metal, cushioned chairs ringed the table. A large ornamental chandelier hung above the table, and doubtless would have been a sight to behold when active. The room looked like it hadn't seen used in some time, as dust had been layered fairly thick on the table. Exiting through the door and into the hall, he went to the one remaining room on the first floor he had not seen.

He went through the door opposite the kitchen to find himself in a… library, he supposed. Every wall was covered by shelves lined with books of varying sizes, huge tomes and small pocketbooks alike. Even the window had been hidden to allow for more shelf space. Three armchairs were placed in the center. All faced a small coffee table that had a decorative kerosene lamp on it. This room too showed signs of extended disuse.

Shrugging his shoulders, Finn went back to the kitchen to find cleaning supplies, happy enough that he had found something productive to chew up his time.

* * *

Upstairs, Marceline had finally begun to stir. Rising through the haze that mornings (or at least awakenings) always brought with them, she slithered out of her bed quite reluctantly. Lowering her nose to her armpit, she gave a dissatisfied "Ughh." Shrugging off what little clothing she wore to bed, she grabbed a bathrobe from her wardrobe and disappeared into her bathroom to shower.

* * *

Sometime later, Marceline descended the stairs curious as to what her young ward had been up to. She found Finn in the library, dusting along the old bookcases. She noticed the wood finish of the table and several shelves shone with a luster she hadn't seen in a long time. Finn then happened to turn his head and noticed her standing in the hallway. He could tell she had just bathed, as she wore only her robe and her hair still gleamed with moisture. Immediately he moved to stand before her, crossing his arms behind his back.

"G… Good morning Mistress." He greeted her, a small yet earnest smile on his face. Marceline returned his smile, impressed at what he had already accomplished so early in the morning. "My Finn, so early this morning and already cleaning?" Finn only gave that sheepish look she was quickly becoming accustomed to. "You weren't up yet to give me any orders. I just figured… I should do something helpful."

Marceline then noticed Finn was still wearing the same outfit he had as yesterday, shoes and even cloak included. It was then she realized he didn't actually have any spare clothes to change into. 'I guess that's what's on today's agenda then.' "Wait here Finn. I'm going to go change and then we're headed into town." Finn looked curious, but still nodded in acknowledgment.


	9. Chapter 9

Finn and Marceline emerged from the hidden crag into the canyon proper. The high noon sun illuminated the pass brilliantly, temporarily blinding the two as their eyes adjusted to now unfamiliar sunlight. Both had worn their cloaks to conceal themselves, but Finn had noticed that Marceline had taken extra precautions, wearing long sleeved clothing, pants and even gloves. Finn thought this rather odd given that it was still late summer, and thus promised to get fairly hot in the day.

They began their trek headed in the opposite direction of the bazaar. Marceline began to explain the day's plan to Finn, "Were going to head towards the outskirts of the Rock Kingdom where we can rent a carriage. That'll take us to Shrine Town, a few miles away." "Understood" Finn replied quickly, not asking what exactly the point of the trip was. It was hardly his business, he thought anyway.

Marceline knew it would take about a half-hour to reach the stables, and at least another half-hour for the carriage to take them into town. She thought that now would be a good time to get some more information about her little friend.

"So Finn…" she started, waiting for him to acknowledge. With a nod from him she continued, "There's still quite a lot about you I feel I should know if I plan to keep you around." The last bit frightened Finn somewhat. He had already decided that the worst thing Marceline could do to him would still be one hundred times better than the best thing the Merchant could do. Not at all wanting to jeopardize his service to her, he immediately conceded to tell her anything she wished to know. "An… anything Mistress. If I can answer I will."

There were many mysteries surrounding the boy, not the least of which was how a human even existed, much less how he came into the possession of Adem, and all of these Marceline was desperate to know. She, however, figured it best to start out simple. After all, Finn was young, there were probably many things he himself did not have the answer to.

"Let's start with how old you are." 'A simple question to start, let's see how close I was on the money.' Finn seemed to have to think on that for a moment, but shortly was able to answer "I'm… that is, I'm pretty sure I'm around eleven." Marceline looked over to him in confusion. 'He can't be that old, he's too small. He has to be at least a few years younger.' "Are you sure about that?" she asked. "Ya, well… no. Like, I don't really know for sure, but it just feels right in my head, like, this is the right answer, I guess." Finn did his best to elaborate, but it was obvious he lacked the proper means to articulate his feelings. Whether that was simply do to his young age or lack of education, Marceline decided to try and find out.

"What about education, did the merchants ever try to teach you anything except how to work?" Finn replied, again apparently not completely sure of himself, "Well no. But I kinda already knew some stuff, like… how to read." Marceline confirmed, "You know how to read?" "Pretty good. But I never really had a lot of chances to practice." he said dejectedly.

'He's pretty lucky for a kid that spent half his life in a cage. Adem said he found him five years age, which means if Finn is right about his age he would've had to been taught this by the time he was six, and then retained it without practice for five years.' Marceline couldn't help but feel more impressed with the kid.

Marceline desperately wanted to press the issue of what had happened before he was taken by the slavers, but she somehow felt that would be too painful for Finn at the moment. In any case, they had just come out of the mountain pass. Great fields and forested areas dominated much of the landscape, stretching far in front of them and to the right. To the left, the mountains continued along. They curved inward slightly, and Finn took notice of some oddities on the mountain side. It took him a few seconds to realize that there were actually buildings carved into the cliff face, a whole city carved into the very mountain itself, the Rock Kingdom.

* * *

Marceline led him down a path towards the base of the city/mountain. A few small farms surrounded the outer wall of the city. Small stone farmhouses were spread thinly around, oddly even a stone windmill, (physics be damned). As they approached the dwellings, they began to see a small number of rock people milling about. Most gave quick glances, some more curious stares, but no one seemed to particularly mind their presence.

They finally came to a more open stone platform, apparently a staging area for carriages. Marceline spoke with the driver of a more elegant looking enclosed carriage. "I require a ride to Shrine Town." she said while handing him a carefully counted satchel of coins. Finding the bag to be a suitable amount, the rock driver gave a polite nod to Marceline, signaling for the two to enter the coach.

Finn had just observed a rock man at an adjacent stage coach opening the door to assist a very well dressed rock lady inside. Believing this to be a display of proper servitude he was unfamiliar with, he hastily moved to the door before Marceline could and opened it for her, offering his hand as he had seen the other man do.

Marceline snickered at Finn's actions. He clearly had no idea this behavior was more inclined towards courtship rather than service, but decided to humor him nonetheless, allowing him to guide her into the coach. Finn, however, simply thought himself to have pleased Marceline, happy to see her smile, to hear her giggle. Once Marceline was seated, Finn followed suit, closing the door behind him. As he did the driver took his cue and snapped the horses into action.

Finn sat opposite to Marceline in the stage coach, taking in the interior. It was a very nice design, each side held a soft leather bench to site on, and the walls were trimmed with intricate patterns. Marceline gazed out of the window to watch the countryside pass by. She always loved watching the shifting landscape from a carriage, it always made her feel very peaceful, if tired.

Finn, however, was content to simply watch Marceline. His thoughts drifted to the conversation they had had on their walk through the canyon. 'She sure wanted to know a lot about me. No one ever wanted to know about me before.' Subconsciously, he gripped the cloak from the inside, pulling it tighter across his shoulders. He began to fidget nervously, his movement drawing Marceline's gaze away from the scenery to him. She simply raised an eyebrow, but it was clear she wanted to know what was making him so uncomfortable.

In truth, Finn was extremely anxious to ask a question, but could not decide if it would be considered appropriate. However, now that she had caught him she expected an explanation, so he might as well try. "Mistress… would it be alright if I asked a question?" "Go ahead." She replied through a smirk, loving his anxiety.

Finn actually had a series of branching questions, and was having difficulty deciding where he should start. Eventually he got out, "Why is it so important to wear these cloaks. I mean, keep ourselves secret?" Marceline, had not expected this question, and pondered exactly how she should answer. "The reason I wear one is a little different than why you need to wear one. But for both of us, you especially, well…" she thought hard on how exactly to explain as simply as possible. "Most people find people like us to be very strange. They don't always understand our kind. Some would be afraid of us, some angry. Some might even be scared or angry enough to attack us. That's why we hide ourselves. We're just… different."

Finn knew she wasn't giving a complete answer, but still one particular thing didn't escape his attention. "You said people like us… does that mean you're the same as me?" Marceline's face was unreadable, so Finn continued. "The Merchant used a word when he talked about me. I think it was 'Hyooman' or something like that. Is that what we are?"

Marceline looked to the ground, seeming almost sad for a moment. "No Finn, we're not the same." Finn pressed the issue, "But you look like me! You look more like me than anyone else I've ever seen. You said it yourself, we're different from others."

Marceline gave a deep sign. "That's true Finn, we do look a lot alike. And yes, you are a human. But I'm something else. I'm still considered strange by other people, but I'm not a human." Finn looked crestfallen. Marceline continued, "I'm sorry Finn. I know what you were thinking, how I could have known something about where you came from. But you're the first human I've seen in… a long time. Too long to mean anything."

Marceline really didn't like to see Finn so unhappy. She was about to say something else, but before she had the chance Finn looked up at her, shockingly with a smile gracing his face. "It's okay Mistress. I really don't mind if you're a human or not. It doesn't really matter if I ever find another one, because you found me." he said, giving her a genuine smile.

Marceline couldn't help but burst out in laughter, but this was not mocking laughter, rather more so just a result of sheer happiness. Finn thought her sheer, unrestricted laughter sounded so beautiful, and he couldn't help but begin laughing himself. The mood considerably lighter, the two finally came down from their high as the carriage pulled up along the outskirts of Shrine Town.


	10. Chapter 10

**All right, actual plot build up in the next couple chapters! Have I gone mad! Trick question, I was mad all along! In other news, I would like to thank the kind patrons for their continued support of this piece. Hard to think I've been writing solidly for almost a week, yet I feel like I'm not even a third done. Oh right, stronger language about to be used; time i started earning this rating. And now, on with the story.**

* * *

Marceline and Finn stepped off of the carriage just on the outskirts of town. Marceline had always regarded Shrine Town to be one of the more 'normal' settlements around nowadays. For Finn, this town was as unique as anything else he had ever seen. Medium sized buildings of stone and wood dominated the town center, most appearing to be three or four stories high. Several suburbs of smaller houses jutted out from random spots of the town. The town was quite large on the whole, which made it rather odd that there were no walls or fortifications.

Marceline guided Finn down cobblestone streets toward the town center. Finn still had no idea what they were here to do, but they appeared to have entered a shopping district, so he could only assume they were here to purchase some things. Indeed, Marceline soon brought Finn into a large tailor shop. She knew finding clothes to fit a person of Finn's size and build would not be very simple, but this store seemed to have a wide selection to choose from.

Figuring it may make things easier to get Finn's input, she asked him "Well Finn, is there anything here that's caught your eye?" Finn didn't understand. 'Why is she asking me that? Does she really want me to tell her what would look good on her?' He said to her, "I really don't think I'm a good person to get fashion advice from Mistress. Maybe you should ask one of the worker ladies, I'm sure they could pick something nice for you."

Finally she realized that Finn had completely misunderstood the point of this trip. 'Though to be fair, I didn't really tell him anything about it.' Giving a small giggle, she spoke to set Finn straight, "No dummy, we're not here for me. We're here to get you a wardrobe."

Finn was shocked. Were they really here for his sake? The very idea was Ludicrous to him. "Mistress, there's…. no point in wasting your money on someone like me, I mean I'm just…" but Marceline cut him off there. "Oh hush. I can hardly have you wearing the same smelly rags every day now can I?" "Well…" Finn began. "Don't answer that. Now come on, you really should have a full set of clothes to change for the week, at least."

Deciding to allow his Mistress to carry out her wishes rather than escalate the argument, Finn nodded to her. "Ok then. If…. If you insist, I really don't mind whatever you get." Marceline really should have expected this answer. She let out a sigh, "Ok then, let's see what we can find."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the duo, a town citizen had taken an interest in them. The person had seen two cloaked figures walking down the street which had piqued his curiosity. The distance and their hoods did well to conceal them, but he was able to catch a slight glance at the shorter figures face. Now very intrigued, he decided to get a closer look. Crossing the street, he entered into the tailor shop after the two. Being in plainclothes, the man did not draw any attention to himself, appearing to just be another prospective patron.

Feigning interest in a rack of jackets, he was able to get much closer to the pair, getting a good look at the small one's face. He now had no doubts; that was a human boy! Quickly extracting himself from the shop, he hurried off across town towards a small pub to meet with his associates.

* * *

Marceline was now making the final payment on the large order of clothes they had selected. Most of the clothes were quite plain, solid colored shirts, shorts etc. But they were of good quality, much nicer than what Finn had been dressed in by the merchants. A couple of employees were currently stuffing the clothes into two duffel bags Marceline had also purchased. She had arranged for the bags to be brought to the carriage station in a couple hours, figuring that as long as they were in town they may as well do something interesting.

Finn was standing quietly beside her, still in slight disbelief that his Mistress had just purchased so much… for him! However once she had begun to move towards the exit Finn snapped out of his reverie and moved to follow her. The sun was just starting to lower, Marceline figured it was probably around late afternoon, maybe 4:30 or 5:00. It occurred to Marceline that she hadn't yet eaten anything today, which meant Finn probably hadn't either. "Would you like to get something to eat Finn?" she asked, expecting him to skirt around the request nervously before actually answering her with what could have equated to a simple yes. "I suppose I am… I mean I don't have to eat. But if you want to I won't complain." Finn did not disappoint.

Marceline led them to a line of food stalls parked all along a wide and busy street. Scents of thick fried foods, cured meats and sweet things drifted about them, making their mouths water. Marceline found a stall selling spit-roasted rabbits, and entered the relatively short line. When she got to the counter she ordered two rabbits and two bottles of water. Handing over more coins, she received her treats. Finn briefly wondered just how much money Marceline had actually brought with her before she handed him his bottle of water and a whole rabbit on a stick.

Marceline fully expected him to make some big point of getting to eat the whole thing. Finn started, "Is this…" Marceline interjected, "Yea, yea, jut eat it already before it gets cold. Not needing a second order, Finn heartily began to tear into the rabbit, following Marceline as she led him down the streets. Marceline had actually planned to lead them to visit the shrine for which the town was named.

Situated on a cluster of hills towards the edge of the town's business districts, the Shrine was a fairly popular pilgrimage and tourist destination that accounted for much of the town's popularity, as well as much of their revenue. The two walked up a set of faded marble stairs leading to the top hill that housed the shrine.

Reaching the top, they had a great chance to survey the area. The top of the hill had actually been concave, dipping down into a slightly bowl-type area. An amphitheater had been built into the indentation. Seven rows of white stone benches ringed around the entirety of the bowl. At the bottom, a circular stone platform was set level in the center of the bowl. Six cracked, stone pillars were placed symmetrically along the edge of the platform. They appeared to have, at one point, held a ring connecting them along the top, however it was evident the structure was quite old and much of the ring had crumbled away.

Finn marveled at the ancient structures as Marceline led him down and onto the platform. Now standing in the circle, Finn could see that a bronze pedestal with a water basin at the top stood affixed in the center. Finn's curiosity finally got the better of him, and he asked Marceline "What is this?"

"This is the Shrine, as it's simply called now. Nobody knows when or why it was originally built, but it was probably for some kind of religious ceremonies. But it got its real fame from something that happened more recently." Marceline smiled as she saw Finn's eyes wide. He was hanging on her every word. She loved having his undivided attention. "Well a couple of decades back, almost a century I think, this cult started meeting here to perform their own ceremonies. I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics, but they would kidnap people from all over Ooo and take them here to be ritualistically sacrificed." Finn had to ask, "What exactly does that mean?" Marceline continued, "It means they killed people here. That bowl in the middle, that was used to collect the blood of all the victims." Marceline spoke with a morbid smile.

Finn couldn't really wrap his head around this. "I don't get it. Why did they have to kill those people in the first place?" Marceline replied, "Nobody knows for sure why they did it. Some people have theories, but all the cult members were killed when the authorities caught them here, so no one could have explained the why." Finn still didn't like this, "But then why is this place so famous if such bad things happened here?" "It's just… history Finn. It can't be helped that what occurred here was so gruesome. It's enough for people that what happened here was important."

Feeling that they had spent enough time here, Marceline began to lead Finn back towards town. "It's getting late, we should head back to the carriages and get home." Although that history lesson had upset Finn slightly, he couldn't help but smile at what Marceline had said. "Home." He whispered quietly to himself. 'I have a home.'

* * *

A while later, Finn and Marceline found themselves at the entrance to the canyon once again. The carriage had taken them all the way here from Shrine Town, but would not be able to move through the mountain pass. Not that Marceline would want anyone knowing about her hidey hole anyway. So it was now their burden to haul the baggage with them,

Finn immediately shouldered one of the bags and moved to grab the second one. However, he was obviously too small to carry both, and the sight of him struggling with the massive load sent Marceline into a fit of hysterics. "H…He…Here" she choked out between gasps, "Let me carry one or it will take us all night to get back. Without waiting for a response she grabbed one of the bags and slung it about her shoulders. Finn glanced away, face red in embarrassment, but now able to rise with the one bag. The two entered the canyon and began their walk back to the cavern.

* * *

Once more, the two failed to see the mysterious shadow perched atop the cliff, watching their every step. The man wore a black cloak of his own, though his seemed far… darker, more ominous, and somehow better concealed him. He watched the two walking through the canyon before they suddenly disappeared beyond an otherwise unnoticeable crack in the wall. 'So there's your rat hole' the man thought, the irony of such a phrase eluding him. His muzzle pointed up and his lips twisted in a sinister sneer, revealing yellow, monstrous teeth. As much as he'd like to just storm in there to accomplish his goal, he realized it was far too dangerous to act alone. Instead he opted to set up his camp here, concealed yet easily able to observe the cave. He turned to pitch his tent on the precarious rock face while his thoughts turned to the near future. 'Better enjoy yourself kid, cause the next time you come out of that hole you aint comin back.'


	11. Chapter 11

The dark figure heaved out a heavy sigh of frustration as he looked again to the cave. It had been ten days since he had started his stakeout, but he had not seen a single sign of the two reemerging. The man knew these mountains well, they were too thick for that crack to just lead to a tunnel through them; it had to be where they lived. This thought did nothing to lessen his anger at the two. 'How the hell can anyone spend so long in a damn hole?' he thought to himself.

He suddenly heard a strong vibrating coming from his tent. Reaching through the flap he pulled out a cell phone. He immediately knew who it was, absolutely dreading the talk he was about to have. Knowing it would be unwise to ignore the call he flipped the phone open. "Hel…" "Have they come out yet?" a gruff voice interrupted the man before he could get a word in. The voice on the other line did not sound happy. "Well… no." It was evident rage had built in the individual on the other line, "You said he was a human, Skitch. You realize how important it is that we get our hands on him don't you?" The man was quickly losing his nerve. "Absolutely I…" "Then you know what will happen to you if you don't find him, don't you?" "Yes but…" "Then quit wasting time and find that kid before I have to come over there and deal with you myself!" The call was cut then. Shaking hands closed the phone, tossing it back into the tent. 'Damnit, they've gotta come out soon.'

The residents of the house in the cave went about their usual business completely unaware of the people who had taken such an interest in them. Finn stood in the basement laundry room, a small rectangular room of solid concrete, save for the lights, plumbing and electrical fixtures. Two large, very modern washing were placed along the back wall. Each were silver in coloration, having their circular doors and all buttons located on the front side. This allowed for two dryers to be situated on top of them. These appeared identical in size and coloration. The dryers featured square doors and a different button layout, still allowing for easy differentiation.

Finn stood in front of the machine amidst several piles of clothes and wayward laundry baskets. He was busy removing a load of dark clothes from the washer and placing them in the dryer. He cheerfully hummed a nonsensical tune while he worked. Washing clothes had always been his favorite chore at the camp. He didn't have a good reason, just that it seemed so simple as to almost be therapeutic. Having modern technology to assist him made things all the more easy.

Starting up the dryer cycle, Finn quickly put another load into the now empty washing machine. He then reached back up the second dryer, which had completed its cycle. Pulling over a nearby basket, he began to meticulously fold and load the articles. He stopped his process briefly when he pulled out his black cloak. He smiled at the touch of the inanimate object and threw it around his shoulders. Under his cloak, Finn had already been wearing a white shirt and black shorts, their drawstring pulled fully taut. Most of the clothing Marceline had bought had been slightly too big, but she assured him he would grow into it.

Finn had settled into a very comfortable routine in the last week and a half since he had begun living here. He always awoke much earlier than Marceline, taking that time to straighten out as much of the house as he could. If he ever had any extra time before Marceline came down, he would spend it in the library. Most of the books were too complex for his underdeveloped reading skills, but he had really begun to enjoy the fiction novels he had found.

When Marceline came downstairs he would spend most of the day at her beck-and-call. Marceline always told him what times she wanted to eat, and they would always share their meals together. Occasionally she would go out to the pond and sit at the edge, paddling her feet. Finn would, of course, always be close by in case she requested a glass of wine or a book to read. He enjoyed spending time in the cavern, watching the bioluminescence dance on the water's surface while strands of kelp swayed about beneath. Other times he would just perform whatever tasks she asked of him.

Having finished folding the laundry he picked up the basket, which appeared comically oversized with him carrying it, he made his way out the door and into the main room of the basement. The basement was also had solid concrete walls and floors. Two columns were placed near the center to act as supports for the house. Many boxes were stacked all about the basement, their contents unknown and uncared for by Finn. The entire back wall was covered in a wine rack, just under half its slots contained bottles.

Finn ascended the stairs to the top floor, walking to the end of the hall and stopping outside of Marceline's door. He knocked several times and, after receiving no answer, entered her room. Marceline slept in the master bedroom which was about twice as large as his own. She seemed to really enjoy dark colors. Her walls were painted a dark, royal purple and the carpet was a deep crimson, almost black. A dark wooden vanity sat next to the window on the left side of the room. Along the right and front walls were several dressers, all sporting various clutter atop them. In the back right corner a door led into Marceline's private bathroom. It could actually be accessed from the hall, but she kept that door locked at all times.

Her bed, however, dominated the room. The bed, which jutted out from the center of the back wall, was massive, fit for a queen really. King sized, the bed sported a canopy. Four carved posts ran up from each corner, nearly to the ceiling. Light indigo gauze comprised the canopy roof, and was draped along all the sides. Slits in the middle of each side allowed them to be opened or drawn closed. Thick silk blankets of a deep purple hue smothered the mattress, no doubt soft as a cloud. Several fluffy pillows sporting dark red cases were lined along the entire headboard.

Finn was always awed by the magnificence in which his Mistress dwelt, but never felt comfortable spending long in here. He felt too much that he was invading her privacy, that he was trespassing on sacred ground. So he walked to the bed to lay out Marceline's clothes.

Marceline chose that time to go look for her servant. Finding her own door open, she peeked inside to see him neatly laying her clothes on her bed. Not able to resist the temptation, she stepped silently across the thick carpet until she stood about a foot behind him. "Finn." She stated simply, making her presence known. Finn nearly jumped out of his skin. Flinging the item he had been holding he half turned to face what had startled him, but his foot caught on the basket and he crashed to the floor.

Marceline let out a hearty laugh as Finn did his best to stand and straighten himself. "Mistress." He said after composing as much of himself as he was able. "I… I'm sorry for intruding, I was just delivering the laundry. I… I was just going to leave very shortly." Marceline's laughter died down as she spoke to reassure him, "Take it easy Finn, you're not doing anything wrong. It's not like I caught you sniffing my panties or anything." The innuendo was lost on Finn, too young and sheltered to understand why he'd want to do something like that.

"Anyways," she continued, "I just came to find you so you could ready. I've got an… errand to run in the Candy Kingdom." "R… Right away Mistress." Finn said as he bolted out of the room, off to prepare himself.

Back outside, the stranger was really starting to panic. 'Aww man I'm screwed. Those two aint comin out any time soon. I'm just gonna have go and get the hell outa dodge, maybe head towards… wait.' His thoughts stopped short as he saw movement as the mouth of the cave. Immediately he went to the ground, doing his best to remain hidden. It was them, the boy and the other figure! What a stroke of luck. He finally had them back in his sights, and he promised not to let them escape his gaze so easily this time.

The duo began to head south, opposite the direction of the Rock Kingdom and Shrine Town. 'Shit, that's gonna make things tougher.' Though inconvenienced, the man was nonetheless relieved to have picked up the tail. As the two worked their way through the canyon he followed their every step from the cliff edges. Pulling out his cell phone, he hit the speed dial button connecting him to his associates. The same agitated voice that had called earlier picked up on the other line, "You'd better have something for us." "Yes I do, don't worry. The two are headed south now, I don't know where they're going but I'll follow em real close." "Alright, we'll start heading towards you. Keep us updated where you're headed. Got that?" the vice threatened. "Yay a, don't worry." And with that he ended the call.


	12. Chapter 12

**In this chapter, day trips and savage beatings! In the next, a nod to my favorite review so far. I hope you catch it. I've got plans to finish up this... arc, i suppose, in just a few more chapters. I'll continue the story, but I'm planning on including some pretty significant time skips. Anyway... foreshadowing, ramblings you don't care about, blah, blah, blah, on with the story.**

* * *

Finn and Marceline Stood outside the drawbridge that lead to the famous Candy Kingdom, one of the wealthiest kingdoms in all of Ooo. As always, Finn's mind raced to take in every magnificent detail. Great white Walls surrounded the entirety of the massive city. The walls were, in turn, surrounded by a wide moat of what appeared to be orange soda. Massive towers sprung up from all over the city, peeking out over the grand walls. And at the center was the most magnificent building Finn had ever seen.

The Royal Candy Palace stood as a diamond in a sea of gold. Constructed of the same brilliant white material as the rest of the city, it rose high above the walls to be seen from miles around. At the top of the structure, a massive tree reached even higher beyond the grasp of mortals. It stood like a beacon of prosperity in a world much darker than anyone cared to admit.

Marceline led Finn into the gleaming city. All brands of candy people milled about, carrying on their everyday duties. Some even offered a pleasant greeting as they passed by the two. Finn had seen candy people before, but to see them set against this backdrop made them seem much more… natural, almost.

Finn passed a glance up towards his Mistress, noticing something different about the way she carried herself. She kept her hood up, but instead of walking slightly hunched over, keeping her face to the ground, she walked tall, even offering the odd pleasant smile to those she passed by.

Marceline caught Finn's look, guessing what he was thinking. She was becoming quite adept at reading his thoughts. "Don't worry about keeping such a low profile around here. Candy people are a lot nicer than most other species in Ooo." Hearing this, Finn also began to hold his head a little higher.

The unique architecture caught Finn's attention. He had heard tales that the entire kingdom was edible, but he had not ever had reason to think about it at length. "Mistress?" Finn spoke in an inquisitive tone. "Hmm?" Marceline responded. "Is it true that you can eat everything in the city?"

"Technically that's true. Everything is constructed of edible material. But honestly, almost none of it tastes good enough to eat. Building chocolate is one of the most bitter things I've ever had the misfortune of sampling." Marceline said, the memory of a certain dare involving construction material sent cold shivers down her spine.

After about twenty minutes of walking, the two found themselves outside a less reputable looking establishment. The white walls seemed more faded than surrounding buildings, and had cracks running around them. The paint on the sign was heavily chipped away. One could just barely make out the words 'Candy Tavern'

* * *

The cloaked figure cautioned a glance around the corner. The two had come to a stop outside of the Candy Tavern. Pulling out his cell phone he quickly hit the redial button while keeping his eyes on the two. A shuffling noise indicated the other end had picked up. "The two just stopped outside the Candy Tavern. It looks like they're about to head inside." The gruff voice responded. "We're just coming through the gate. Make sure they don't leave." "Gotcha."

* * *

Marceline was unhappy that this was the only place her contact was willing to conduct business. The place always seemed… dirty. Worse, it attracted the lowest rung of candy society. Thugs and criminals of all sects and specialties flocked here like flies to light. Nevertheless, it was crucial that she get what she came here for. "Stay close to me. Don't talk to anyone, don't make eye contact with anyone. Understood?" Marceline spoke very seriously. "Yes Mistress" Finn spoke with equal conviction.

The two steeped through the door, their nostrils assaulted by the thick scent of alcohol, smoke, body odor and several other equally unpleasant smells. Marceline was prepared for this, and braced herself. Finn, however, was not prepared, and gagged on the intolerable air.

Finn was dry heaving fairly badly, attracting many sets of eye to the two who seemed very out of place in the bar. Marceline was trying to calm him down, but it was evident that Finn was not able to handle even the atmosphere in here. Quickly she got them out the door, Finn shaking as he took deep breaths, calming down.

Marceline was not happy, she couldn't take Finn in there but she NEEDED to meet with her guy. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Ok Finn. There's a popular coffee shop at the end of the block across the street." Marceline pointed as Finn followed her arm. Sure enough there was a decently sized building on the corner with a large sign jutting out from the corner of the building that read 'The Sweet Bean'. "The place is always pretty crowded, so just find an empty table and wait for me there. I shouldn't take too long."

Finn was obviously frightened. He hadn't been separated from Marceline by more than a few rooms since she bought him. How could he be expected to handle things on his own? Marceline tried to reassure him. "I know you're scared Finn but trust me, nothing bad will happen. You've seen the candy people, most of them would never hurt a fly and the rest don't even notice you. I promise I'll only be twenty, thirty minutes tops."

Finn still showed fear on his face, but gave a solemn nod to her anyway. "I promise I won't be long." Marceline said, then turning back the tavern and disappearing within. Finn was terrified, but he remembered his calming exercises from when he awoke from nightmares. He took his deep cleansing breaths, heart-rate slowly lowering to normal. Gathering his wits, he turned and began walking towards the shop.

* * *

While the two were inside the tavern, six more cloaked figures arrived to meet with the one previously discussed. The largest among them, a hulking shadow, approached the familiar assailant. "So they're both in there?" it demanded. The smaller figure took a step back, severely more intimidated now that he was here in person. "Yea, sure. They're both in there." One of the figures in the background spoke up, "So how is this gonna go down?" The huge figure responded in an annoyed tone, "What do you mean? We're gonna grab the kid as soon as he steps outside and knock him out." The small figure in front voiced his concern, "But the other one is still with him." "Then we'll pummel him too if he gets in our way. What difference does it make?" the large man said, sounding more agitated with each question.

Turning around, the titan addressed his entourage, "Okay, you five are gonna go wait in the alley beside the tavern. Skitch, you and I are gonna wait here. When the two come out, we'll drive em into the alley, and the rest of you'll jump em. We'll knock them out and drag the boy back to the Shrine." At that, the five others left to go wait in the shadows, arriving just as the two came back outside.

* * *

Back in the tavern Marceline had finally spotted her supplier sitting at the corner of the bar. Walking over to him, she pulled over a bar stool and sat down. "Sorry I'm late" Marceline offered to the small man. "Not an issue, I would've just been stuck here anyway." The man was sharply dressed, a stark contrast to the rest of the rabble in the tavern. He appeared to be made of peppermint.

"So how's life been treating ya Pepper?" Marceline asked. "You know well by now, nothing ever changes in the day-to-day. But I guess that just means I've got no issue to complain about." He replied. "Good." "By the way, who was that kid you had with you?" he inquired. "Just a slave I recently acquired. He's been… quite handy to have around." The peppermint man snorted, "I always figured you'd get one eventually. Frankly I'm surprised it took you this long."

Marceline graced him with a chortle of her own. "Well, as much as I'd love to chat for a while, I've got to get out of here pretty soon. So do you have my prescription?" Pepper nodded, pulling out a large vial filled with a bright red liquid. "Just the way you like it, I assume you have my payment ready?" In response Marceline pulled a suspiciously nondescript brown package from her robe, exchanging it for the vial. "As always Marceline, it was a pleasure to see you." Marceline rose from her seat, "It was nice to see you too." She then turned to go meet Finn.

* * *

Skitch and the towering figure behind him stood behind the corner of the building, watching the entrance to the tavern. They observed the boy and his escort emerge into the daylight. The large one whispered, "Get ready to move, as soon as they cross in front of the alley we're gonna knock em in." Both figures, tensed, ready to spring out, but to their slight annoyance the two targets just stood on the sidewalk, talking.

"What are they waiting for?" Skitch questioned. "Just hold on." The mammoth replied. A short time later, the taller figure disappeared back into the tavern, leaving the boy unguarded. The boy looked visibly shaken, but began to walk down the street regardless. "Go!" the large man said, shoving his subordinate out onto the street and rushing for the boy.

* * *

Finn turned to look back as he heard a set of heavy footsteps thundering towards him. He was able to catch a glimpse of a massive figure before said titan thrust out a huge hand. The beast grabbed the boy by the throat, easily lifting him high into the air and hurtling him back into an alley.

Finn sailed through the air, struggling to gasp through his bruised windpipe. He crashed into a wall of cloaked figures, getting what little breath was left knocked out of him. The other men grabbed the boy and began to tear into him. Finn felt violent punches connect with his stomach, doubling him over, and then with his chin, dazing him somewhat. A kick to the back of his knee brought Finn to the ground hard on his patella. His hood thrown back, someone grabbed the back of Finn's head, pulling hard on his golden locks, and threw his face into the wall, casting Finn into blackness.

* * *

The giant and Skitch came into the alley to witness the aftermath. The boy lay face down on the ground, blood slowly pooling around his face. The big one nudged his foot into the boy's shoulder, rolling him onto his back. Blood was lightly flowing from his nose and a big cut on his forehead.

"He'll be out for a while. Let's get out of here quick." The de facto leader announced, picking up the boy's slack form and tossing him over his shoulder like an old towel. With that the band returned to the front gate, slipping out at random intervals to remain as incognito as possible.


	13. Chapter 13

Once the band of dark figures had all made it out of the city they met far up the road, just beyond the tree line. Together, they stood in a small clearing of cotton candy trees. An eighth figure had been waiting here for their return with the boy. "Is that him then?" the new player asked in a rasping voice. The large figure responded, "Yes, let's load him up." The rasping figure pushed forward a large wooden cart.

Designed to be moved by one or two people, the cart had a very light frame and was relatively small, rather like a cross between a horse-drawn cart and a wheelbarrow. Attached to the frame was a wooden coffin, the lid open and hanging off to the side on a brass hinge.

The large one shrugged the unconscious lad off his shoulders, casting him unceremoniously into the casket, closing the lid on him. Things could be handled crudely for now; ceremony would come later. "All right, everyone back to the Shrine, double-time. We've got to finish this before the moon sets tomorrow." At his order, the rest of the figures shuffled back towards the mountain paths, one moving to help the rasping figure push the cart.

* * *

Marceline walked back onto the street, lowering her face enough to keep the sun blocked out. She had started towards the coffee shop she had ordered Finn to wait at, but something caught her attention when she passed by the tavern alley. It was a smell, a very…. alluring smell. Temptation overwhelmed her, and she went to go investigate.

She confirmed what she already knew to be true, a puddle of blood had drawn her over. A spattering appeared on the wall, as though someone had their face bashed in against it, but the majority was concentrated in a small puddle on the ground.

Unable to control herself, Marceline got on her hands and knees, face close to the puddle and inhaled deeply. It smelled heavenly; sweet iron filled her nostrils, the sense of life had not yet left the liquid, radiating like a light to her heightened senses. But there was something else rather appealing, buried deep under the overwhelming scents, something familiar. Wait… that couldn't possibly be right. Nearly imperceptible, but still present was something that only could match the scent of, "Finn", she gasped out, leaning back on her heels.

"No, no, this can't be right." She muttered, trying to reassure herself. Springing back up to her feet, she sprinted out of the alley back to the coffee shop, where surely she would find Finn safe where he was supposed to be. But flinging open the door to the shop revealed no sign of Finn. She moved hastily throughout the store, perceptibly worried which drew the attention of many patrons.

One of the candy waitresses, a lanky sugar-cigarette girl, approached the panic-stricken women to see if she needed any help. "Excuse me mam, are you alright? You look worried, do you need me to call someone?" Marceline saw that she was wearing a workers uniform, and desperate to find any trace of Finn, asked her, "Have you seen a short kid any time today? He's wearing a cloak like mine, except black." The waitress shook her head, "No hun. I haven't seen anyone matching that description, and I've been working the floor all day."

Visibly distressed, Marceline simply let out a frustrated moan and scrambled back into the street. There was no doubt anymore, something had happened to Finn, someone had taken him. Marceline stopped, taking a deep breath to compose herself. 'Calm down. You're not going to get anywhere by panicking. You're the only one who can get Finn back.'

Resolve slowly building, she went back to the alley, where the only lead she had was. Taking in a better image of the blood, her mind began to race. 'Okay, there's not nearly enough blood here to have been fatal for Finn, so he's probably still alive.' She also noticed that no trail of blood left anywhere, so his attackers must have stopped the bleeding.

With no other clue's to go off of, she only had one chance to find him. Leaning back down so her face nearly touched the blood, she breathed in the scent deeply one last time. Marceline's senses were far more finely tuned than any other species in Ooo. As far as tracking scents went, she could give dogs a run for their money.

Having gotten his scent lodged in her mind, she turned and headed back, finding her way to the gate, and leaving the city for the dense cotton candy forest.

* * *

The band of delinquents had just left the canyon, and were on the edge of the Rock Kingdom and surrounding area. The sun was just beginning to set, and at their speed it would take them almost an hour and a half to get back to the Shrine. The hulking figure spoke up, "Keep it moving .If we keep up this pace we should time things perfectly, but I still want to make sure we make it."

The band moved down through the few dwellings that came out so far from the main city wall. The cloaked man helping push the cart decided to break the silence, "You know what always bugged me, that stone windmill. Seriously, how is that thing even supposed to work?" His partner replied in his rasping voice, "I think you're overthinking things. These are the rock people, I'm sure they'd have a way to use that thing."

"Quit yer talking and get with the walking!" The giant man bellowed at the two in the rear. Though his subordinates felt he was acting far too harshly, the leader was probably more nervous than the rest of them. 'Idiots. We have to complete this ceremony before tonight's moon is gone. Otherwise we'll have to keep the kid alive, and keep ourselves hidden for another month.' He was far too impatient a man to deal with that. No, he would finish things tonight.

* * *

Marceline came out of the canyon about a half hour after Finn's captors. Though they had a significant lead on her, she was able to move much more quickly. Casting her eyes across the expansive landscape, she could still tell Finn's scent was leading off in the direction towards Shrine Town. That had to be their destination.

Marceline stared off towards the distant settlement. Her eyes narrowed in anger, rage having long ago surpassed her worry. Her resolve was strong, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to get Finn back. "I'm not going to let anyone take you from me, Finn."

* * *

**End Note: Again, I've taken some liberties with Marceline's physiology. I've nerfed a lot of her powers, chiefly flight and transformation, opting instead for less overwhelming power. Basically, extremely heightened senses, speed, and strength.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Come one, come all, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Extra long chapter coming at you all. Fair warning, this chapter's been thoroughly infused with a bit of the old ultra violence, much blood and pain awaits. As for the next chapter, a little more intimate interaction. So here we go, on with the story.**

* * *

Finn awoke to a terrible pain wracking his body. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light of his surroundings. 'Where am…I, What…" Finn was having trouble getting his thoughts straight. His skull felt like it was crushed tight against his brain, he wanted to throw up. As his vision began to clear up, he could make out several dark blobs that appeared to be in motion around him.

Senses beside pain began slowly creeping back into his consciousness. Finn's torso was naked, his shirt and cloak stripped and cast aside. Finn lay on his side, and could feel cold stone or concrete digging into his flesh. He attempted to push himself over onto his stomach, but he was far too weak and soon gave up, collapsing back to his previous position.

The cloaked figure known as Skitch took notice of the boy's movement. "Hey boss, I think the brat's comin 'round." The massive figure stomped over to his subordinate, shoving him out of the way and gazing down out the boy.

His vision still improving, the boy cautioned a glance at the behemoth. The figure was massive, easily two heads taller than his own mistress, and three times as broad. The figure had his hood down, and Fin could tell it was some kind of dog species. His massive snout sneered down at his prone form, huge teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

The beast gave a snort at the boy, "So you've finally decided to wake up huh. Not that it really makes a difference whether you're awake or not for the ceremony." Finn offered no response, or even any sign that he had heard the man talking. Knowing the boy could make no attempt to escape, the boss left him on the ground, turning about to oversee preparations.

Now able to see completely, Finn painfully craned his neck around, trying to get his bearings. It was dark out, the half-moon offering some light, but several torches had been lit in the area. Something about this place seemed familiar to Finn. 'Big pillars. Stone benches. Is this… the Shrine?'

Finn had worked out where he was, but still could not tell what was happening. He saw several of the figures, some now with hoods down, moving about the stone platform, hanging odd trinkets from the pillars.

Finn knew he should've felt afraid, but strangely he did not. Perhaps he was still too dazed to feel any emotion. He felt no fear, but he still knew how bad a situation he was in, and how unlikely he was to get out of it. 'Am I going to die here?'

* * *

Marceline was right, the scent had led her directly to Shrine Town, right to the Shrine in fact. Creeping up the hill, she reached the crest, and went prone on the ground. Peeking down into the bowl, she saw eight robed men milling about the amphitheater stage. It was obvious they were preparing for something, a religious ceremony of some sort. 'Is this the same cult that performed all those murders? Or maybe at least a reincarnation of it.' Her thoughts all stopped short for a second when she spotted a small pile, barely noticeable amongst all the commotion, but to her was instantly recognizable.

"Finn." She whispered to herself. He was here, and she could make out movement, which meant he was still alive. She was attempting to formulate a plan when the largest of the cultists, a wolf-man who towered above the others like a stone windmill, called the rest to attention.

* * *

The cult leader stood by the bronze basin, and bellowed, "Brothers, take your places and lend me your ears!" At once, six of the other cultists stood in front of each pillar, facing the center. The pillars had been strung with morbid artifacts, rusted hooks and blades, eldritch figurines, rotting animal parts, rabbit paws and bird beaks. The last cultist, Skitch, stood beside Finn.

Once every member had taken their place, the towering figure started, "Now brothers, we have gathered here, on the night of the half-moon, to fulfill our ancient and most sacred duty. For too long have we been forced to hide in the shadows, scurrying abut like rats, for fear that what had been started a century ago would be finished. When the so called authorities slaughtered our fore members. The fools never realized what they had done. But we know our sacred duty. Only we remember the Old Gods who were stricken from history in the last age, and in vengeance rained down fire upon the world! But then our order arose, and offered sacrifices to appease the Gods in order to protect this world from befalling the same fate as the last!"

The cultists all clapped for him, cheering and hollering until the wolf raised his hands, signaling for silence. "But in thanks for our work we were slaughtered like hounds! Well the time is fast approaching for our revival. We will offer unto the Gods a human! Yes, a human, the very same as the ones that forsook the Gods in the last age. His blood, his life shall be offered to the Gods, and our world will be made safe for centuries to come!"

Once more the cultists cheered for their master. They were eager to fulfill their duties, which for so long had been ignored. The wolf spoke once more, "Skitch, ready the boy."

Finn had been listening, but couldn't quite follow what was happening. He saw one of the smaller figures bend down to him. This one seemed to be some sort of rat-man. Beady orange eyes stared into Finn's own blue orbs, yellow, gnarled teeth curved into a cruel smirk.

Skitch grabbed Finn from behind, holding him under his arms in a rather painful fashion. Lifting Finn up, he brought him over to the wolf, positioning Finn so he faced the pedestal.

The wolf took out a ceremonial knife, handle made of ivory and blade of black carbon. Skitch positioned Finn closer to the bowl, the boss standing off to the side, reaching for Finn with his empty paw.

He grabbed Finn's left arm and chanted, "Let bleed these hands which are stained with the blood of ages." He took the blade and cut across Finns wrist horizontally, letting his blood drip into the bowl. Finn could feel the cold sting, but was unable to vocalize his distress, far too weary to waste his breath.

Releasing Finn's arm, the wolf chanted again, "Let wither this heart which has caused so much grief." Skitch then moved Finn closer, so his chest was positioned over the bowl. The wolf cut across his chest, straight over the sternum, from pectoral to pectoral. Skitch let the blood flow into the bowl before pulling Finn back. Finn felt his chest burn as the steel invaded his body.

Once more the wolf started, "Let rot this mind which has chosen to ignore the Old Gods." He grabbed Finn by the back of his head and cut across the forehead, reopening and deepening the cut received in the alley. The wolf guided Finn to stare down into the bowl. He saw his own blood dripping into the pan, mingling with the rest that had been taken from him. Finn was starting to feel rather dizzy.

* * *

Marceline couldn't take any more of this. Watching them so far had sickened her to the point of paralysis. She couldn't will her body to move no matter how hard she tried. But the next thing the wolf said changed that.

"Gods above we offer you this human's blood that you may be appeased." He shouted to the heavens. "And now… we offer you his life." He raised the dagger high above his mammoth figure, ready to drain Finn of the little life he had left.

At that moment Marceline could swear she heard something audibly snap in her head. Marceline screamed in primal fury, dashing down the bowl towards the platform. The wolf stopped, confusion open on his face as he stared at the charging women. 'Who the hell would dare to interrupt us at this moment?'

The other cultists also turned to look her way. The one behind the pillar directly in front of Marceline poked his head over the side to see what the commotion was. Marceline sized him up, he appeared to be an anthropomorphic lizard, an albino one at that. Before he even had a chance to register what was happening, Marceline rushed past him, hand held at her side, nails extended like savage claws.

In one swift motion she had leapt onto the stage, past the lizard, slashing his throat as she went. The cultist almost didn't realize what had just happened. He reached a hand to his throat, blood steadily streaming from the wound. Without so much as a whisper, he fell to his side, hitting the edge of the platform and tumbling into the dirt.

Everyone stood motionless for a few seconds, the cultists trying to figure out what the hell had just happened while Marceline sized up her next target. Then the wolf shouted to his inferiors, "Don't just stand there you idiots, kill her!"

At their leader's behest, four of the cultist standing by the pillars all took out daggers, black carbon like their boss's but lacking the ivory handle, and advanced upon the intruder. Once cultist, however, was still not registering what had happened, and stood back behind his pillar on the edge of the platform.

One hooded figure came close enough to make the first move, lunging his knife towards Marceline. Marceline side stepped the blade, grabbing his arm and breaking it inwards. The man barely had time to let out an anguished scream before Marceline curved his arm back further, forcing his own hand to plunge the dagger into his heart. He went limp and Marceline cast him over the side.

Marceline took a menacing step towards the other three, who took one step back. She had a look of pure hatred on her face that terrified the cultists. Even though they all had their hoods up, Marceline could sense the fear they felt as they trembled, and the stench of perspiration filled the air.

Mustering a bit of courage, the next cultists let out a cry of his own; meaning it to sound intimidating, it came out shrill and frightened. He wildly slashed at Marceline, who easily ducked and dodged out of every cut. Throwing his arm out wide and away from his body, Marceline took advantage of his defenseless position and struck him forcefully in the nose with her palm. His cartilage was speared through his brain, killing him instantly. He fell lifeless to the floor.

Bravado building atop her righteous fury, she taunted the remaining two cultists, "Who wants to die next?" The two glanced at one another before simultaneously turning to rush the girl. They could not fail, they had to finish the ceremony to appease the Gods.

As the two charged her, Marceline threw out a ferocious kick, connecting with the left-most cultist's knee and sending it totally backwards. He let out a scream of intense pain as he fell face first to the ground. The other cultist had his dagger raised above his head, and drove it down towards Marceline's collarbone.

Hardly casting him a glance, she grabbed the man's wrist, stopping his thrust. Taking a step back, she pulled hard on his arm, completely dislocating it from the shoulder. The man gave a loud shriek as he dropped his knife, which fell right into Marceline's open palm. Grabbing him by the shoulder, she thrust the knife into his stomach repeatedly before pulling it back. He fell to the floor, sputtering blood as the life slowly drained from him. Marceline looked back to the last cultist, writhing in pain on the ground. She walked over to him and almost casually stuck the dagger into the back of his neck, killing him instantly.

* * *

The wolf could not believe what he had just seen. This girl just swoops in out of nowhere and kills five of his followers without batting an eye or breaking a sweat. 'I could tell Skitch to attack her, but she'd swat him away like a fly. I'll have to deal with her myself.'

The wolf circled the girl, readying himself to pounce. He threw the dagger to his side. The blade was necessary for the ceremony, but would only hinder him in combat. He cracked his digits, dark claws slowly extending from the tips. He spoke to the girl, voice dripping with anger "You've just made the biggest mistake of your life. You have no idea what you've just done!"

Marceline responded with an equally harsh tone, "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I can tell you right now, this is not one of them." Giving a roar that shook the amphitheater, the wolf lunged at Marceline, swiping a huge paw towards her. Marceline ducked, swiping up at him with her own claws and raking them across his face.

The wolf staggered back, releasing a cry of pain. Veins at his neck began to bulge and his eyes became bloodshot. The wolf crouched down to all fours and moved with a tremendous speed towards Marceline.

He was too fast for her to dodge, and he slammed his shoulder into her, driving her back and crushing her against the pillar. But the wolf wasn't finished. He wrapped his massive furred hand around her throat before she could recover, lifted her and slammed her back against the pillar. Quickly turning to build momentum, his arm lashed out and he threw her across the platform into another pillar.

Marceline hit the pillar and crumpled to the ground, coughing raggedly, trying to catch her breath. The beast approached, ready to deliver the final blow. Any other time he would have gladly taken this opportunity to gloat at his downed opponent, but not tonight. He had to finish this dangerous witch quickly before he lost his chance to finish the ceremony. He stood over her shivering form, ready to crash his mighty fist down into her skull.

But as he raised his arm, Marceline moved with a burst of energy that caught the wolf completely off guard. She moved her face to his calf and bit down deeply into it. Releasing quickly she rolled out between his legs before he came down, leaning on his opposite leg.

A tremendous pain shot through his nervous system as he went to one knee; any lesser creature would have been felled by that bite. 'Gah, what was that? My whole leg is cramping up. One bite shouldn't have done this to me. What the hell is she?'

The wolf would never learn the answers to these questions. Marceline came back behind the wolf, grabbing his head and slamming him back to the ground. The last thing the wolf saw was Marceline's boot as it repeatedly stomped his face into the ground until it was an unrecognizable mess. Marceline stopped when she was sure he was dead, standing victoriously over the behemoth's battered body, panting heavily. She trembled as she brought her hands to her face; they smelt of blood.

* * *

Skitch was in disbelief. His boss, the man who commanded so much power and terror as to be considered nearly demonic, lay dead under the heel of some girl who looked like she couldn't have been older than 20.

'This is bad… real bad. Screw this ceremony crap, I've gotta get outa here!' Skitch was terrified for his life. All his associates lay dead and he was poised to be fit for a coffin himself. Dropping the kid to the ground, he turned tail and scurried off the platform, desperate to escape this nightmare.

Marceline, however, had gone into a bloodlust. Her crimson eyes were heavily dilated, and she staggered on her feet almost drunkenly. She saw the last figure hastily retreating up the stone steps. He mouth curved into an evil smile as she broke into a sprint toward the rat.

Catching him mid-flight, she tackled him to the ground. The rat pleaded for his life, "No, c'mon you don't gotta do this. I ain't ever really fit in with this cult, I promise I'll just go far away, I'll…" but Marceline cut him off with a sharp twist of his neck.

Marceline sat atop the lifeless corpse, giggling like a madwoman. Her fit of psychosis suddenly began to wane as she heard a soft scraping sound. Looking back to the platform, she saw a small pale figure slowly crawling towards a dark pile. Just then, her eyes contracted to normal and her bloodlust subsided as she remembered her original goal. 'Finn.'

* * *

She was immediately on her feet and rushing over to Finn, who had reached the dark object he was after. She leapt onto the platform and strode quickly over to him. He was currently lying on his side, clutching his black cloak to his chest, softly whimpering.

Marceline knelt down and lifted his small form into her arms, cradling him. He hugged the cloak tighter as tiny sobs escaped his lips. His eyes were closed tightly, but a small stream of tears still found their way down his face.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be ok. Ok? I'll get you back home and patch you up." Marceline spoke gently, trying to console Finn. His cuts had coagulated somewhat, but some blood still escaped. 'This isn't good, he's lost a lot of blood. I've got to move fast.'

Removing her own red cloak, she tore a long strip off to tie around Finn's head as a makeshift bandage. She couldn't get to his chest or wrist, but he held them tightly enough to his own cloak for the time being. She wrapped the rest of her cloak around Finn, sheltering him as best as she was able. When she had done all she could to dress his wounds, she lifted him up under his legs and back, and swiftly began to jog back towards the mountains.

* * *

As she left, the lone remaining cloaked figure watched her from the shadows as she hopped over the crest of the hill. He had often questioned if he was being smart by involving himself with the cult, but now had no doubts that he was right to just get out of the way when the fighting started. Still, he couldn't believe that his group had been destroyed, '…and by her of all people. The future may prove more interesting then I had expected.'


	15. Chapter 15

Marceline flew into her home and rushed up the stairs. She opened the first door on the left, leading into the main bathroom. The main bathroom was fairly large, larger than her own private one, and fully equipped, including dual-sink and bathtub. She gently unwrapped Finn from her red cloak, spreading it on the floor and placing Finn atop it. She briefly stood up to open a cabinet in the wall, pulling out a first aid kit. She set it by Finn's feet and knelt back down, opening and rifling through the kit.

She pulled out a roll of bandages and tube of anti-bacterial gel. Leaning back over the semi-conscious Finn she carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandage from his forehead. She stood briefly to wet a washcloth in the sink, then kneeled back down to gently wipe the grime from his wound. When she had adequately cleaned the cut, she took the tube of gel and squirt a small amount onto her index finger. She thoroughly rubbed the gel into Finn's cut, the gel turning to a white foam before settling into his skin. After that eased his head onto her knee, and wrapped the bandaging around him.

Setting his head back down, she moved to his bad arm, still clutching the cloak. His muscles had all but given way to fatigue, and offered no resistance when she pulled his arm away from his chest. The cloak, however, came up with the arm, bonded by the blood he had lost. Marceline re-wet the washcloth and gently rubbed around the stuck area, softening the blood and removing Finn's arm. She then repeated her treatment process, cleaning and wrapping Finn's wrist.

Treating his chest would be slightly trickier. Marceline wet the washcloth again and then sat behind Finn. She gently eased Finn into a sitting position, causing him to groan weakly in pain. Marceline scoot herself close behind him, letting him sit back against her chest. Reaching around to his front, she cleaned the crusted blood off of his chest, then swiftly applied the gel. She then pushed his torso back out a short ways, enough to wrap the bandages around him, before letting him collapse back into her.

Marceline set one hand down on Finn's leg and moved the other over the bandages. She pressed her hand tightly over his heart, it's thumping somewhat slow, but stable. Marceline let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. With the threat of immediate danger now behind them both, Marceline was finally able to reflect on the day's events.

'Geez this day was unbelievable. I leave Finn alone for the first time, for twenty freaking minutes, and the worst case scenario happens. He came so close to… no. It didn't happen. I still have him here.' Marceline's arms unconsciously wrapped around Finn's waist. It then occurred to her how strongly she had begun to feel for this boy, her slave of all people. If she had lost him, well, she couldn't imagine such an event.

The smell of anti-bacterial permeated the air. But the memories of all the blood Marceline had been witness to tonight came back into Marceline's mind. She let out an audible grown, a familiar hunger welling within her. She became hyper aware of how warm and lively the form in front of her was. Her eyes slowly began to dilate and her fangs began to lengthen. 'What are you thinking? Get a hold of yourself!' Marceline suddenly willed her urges back down. Looking to her side she saw the satchel that held the vial she had purchased this morning. That seemed like ages ago.

Taking a hand away from Finn, she reached over the satchel, pulling it close enough to reach in and retrieve the vial. Popping the cork out, she quickly gulped down the bright red liquid. Feeling it hit her stomach sent jolts of electricity through her body. Then suddenly she felt as if a great storm had been calmed.

Marceline breathed deeply. Sleep was just about ready to consume her, when the form under her offered a small vocalization. "M…Mis…tress?" Finn said weakly, finally coming around from his stupor.

"I'm here Finn. We're safe. We're home." Marceline spoke softly. "Mistress… I'm sorry… I messed up, and… you went through so much…" "Shhh", Marceline breathed into his ear, "It wasn't your fault."

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes. Marceline realized how late it must be, 'If I'm this exhausted how must Finn feel?' "Do you feel like you can stand?" "Maybe… I mean… I can… if I have to." Finn replied. He already felt guilty for the risks he put his Mistress through, he didn't want to continue to inconvenience her.

Marceline, however, felt no annoyance towards the boy, no disgust, no spite. "Alright, I'll help you then." Marceline slowly began to rise. As she did, she helped Finn to stand, supporting his underarms. She moved to his side so he could lean against her as they walked, Marceline leading them into the hall. The two bloody cloaks lay together on the floor, forgotten for the time being.

Finn was still surprised by his Mistress' assistance, but by no means ungrateful. He expected her to at most help guide him to his bed. To his further surprise, Marceline instead walked him into her own grand bedroom. Finn was uncertain of what was happening.

Marceline brought Finn up the side of the bed. "Kick off your shoes." "Why?" Finn was not able to comprehend what his Mistress was asking of him, or perhaps was refusing to comprehend. Marceline responded, "What, do you sleep with your shoes on?"

Finn's brain finally clicked, she meant for him to sleep here, in her room, in her bed, with her! Finn voiced his concern, "Mistress, I… no…that wouldn't be…right." Marceline then spun Finn around, staring straight into his eyes. Her eyes looked tired, fatigued from worry. They glistened, threatening to let loose tears at any moment.

"Finn, listen to me now. I almost lost you today. I can't… that wouldn't have been tolerable. I refuse to let you go that easily." Finn couldn't help but feel shame when he looked into her eyes, for they held such conviction as to make him feel… inadequate, somehow.

She continued, "That's why I'm telling you to sleep here tonight," her grip on his shoulders slackened and she broke their gaze, looking down at the soft floor. "I just… need to know you're ok."

Finn felt like his heart was tearing. 'She really… cares about me.' "Alright, Mistress." Finn's voice was barely audible. Finn kicked off his shoes and socks, pants as well for all the dirt they had collected, leaving him only in his boxers and metal collar. He wanted to contaminate this site as little as possible. Slowly he eased himself through the gauze and onto the plush mattress, pulling back the covers and easing himself under them. He lay his head down facing his entrance side.

Marceline walked to the other side, dropping he own blood-soaked clothing until she stood in her tank top and panties. She crawled into the bed. Joining Finn under the covers, she snuggled close to his form, needing the security of being absolutely sure he was still in her grasp. She pulled the cover up to their shoulders, inundating them in softness. She once more wrapped her arms around Finn, drawing him back into her embrace. Finn's breath caught in his throat.

Finn's mind was racing, torn between two different avenues of thought. 'This isn't right, I'm just her slave. How can she care so much about me? But I guess this is…nice. Her bed's so soft and warm. And she's… colder. Not cold but colder than me. It feels good to be next to her like this.'

These sensations were rapidly lulling Finn towards slumber, worn as he was from the day's events. Before he completely clocked out, he attempted to garner one last explanation from Marceline. "Mistress…why? Why are you so kind to me? I don't deserve this."

Marceline was too tired to feel any annoyance at Finn's insistence on rejecting happiness or pleasure, instead opting for a different approach. "Maybe you're right Finn. Maybe you don't deserve this. But do you want this?" Finn hadn't considered that. At no point in his life did his desires ever matter. Want? What did that even mean to him anymore?

Finn considered his current situation. He believed it to be endurable. No, he truly enjoyed where he was at in this moment. He felt like he never wanted Marceline to release him. Thinking back to Marceline's question, he had only a simple answer to give. "Yes." Marceline smirked behind his back, "Then there's your answer."

* * *

**End Notes: Whew, glad I finally wrapped that up. So that brings this section to an end, but fear not. I feel their is much more to come. A timeskip will be involved in the next section, that is for certain. Unfortunately, I may be taking some more time than usual to write some good material, really get the ball rolling for the next phase. Until next time.**


	16. Chapter 16

**GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORNIIING PATRONS! This is Low Candela coming in with four new chapters. This Begins after a two year time-skip. I had originally planned to wait two years in real time before posting this before deciding against that, so you should all consider yourselves lucky. Anyway, I'm still likely a ways away from wrapping up this story, so expect plenty more tom come in the future. I can't promise to update at the speed I first started at, but I should easily be able to post some stuff at least once a week. Without further adieu, on with the story.**

* * *

Sweat beaded down Finn's arms as ashes filled the air about him, clinging desperately to the perspiration coating him. The surrounding inferno licked at Finn's very spirit, heat sapping away his strength. Mad men in twisted iron armor dashed about the clearing, screaming in glee as they set torches to carts and broke flesh with sword and spear. Finn had barely enough time to spot one of the savages as he lifted a lumber beam and hurl it in his direction. The beam slammed into his chest, knocking him several feet away from the cart. One last "FINN!" reverberated in his ears before his skull crashed against the packed dirt.

* * *

Finn's eyes snapped open, breathing and heart beat erratic. Upon realization that it was just the nightmare, he simply let his head fall back in frustration. Finn had grown past the need to perform his breathing exercises, though whether that came from his new maturity or that he had simply become desensitized to the dream he could not say.

Finn's lazily turned his head to the digital clock on his nightstand. The time read 7:25. Finn turned his head back and was about to let sleep reclaim him when his memory suddenly kicked in. He forced his eyes to open fully and threw himself into a sitting position, swinging his feet out from the bed, soles easily coming to rest on the hardwood.

Finn rose and strode to his dresser, pulling on a dark red shirt, brown shorts and of course his cloak. The cloak still fit well about Finn, but did appear noticeably higher off the ground. His dream already forgotten, Finn's mind turned towards his plans for the day, excitement filling him and forcing a grin to his face. Finn left his room and moved down the hall to the lower floor as quietly as possible.

Today marked the second anniversary of Marceline's purchase of Finn, and he had planned to do something nice for his mistress. Memories surfaced of one year prior. Last year, Finn had no clue as to the significance the date held, or really even the importance most people seemed to place on yearly events of the like. Marceline surprised him with a fine meal she had special ordered from the candy kingdom. She even ordered a cake, a delicacy Finn had never experienced, explaining the significance of commemorating important events.

At the time, Finn couldn't help but feel a fair amount of guilt. His mistress had been so kind to him in his time in her service. The celebration had been, well, the icing on the cake. But Finn had not done anything to thank his mistress for everything she had done for him since her purchase.

Well this year would be different, Finn had planned something special for Marceline this time. Finn reached the first floor, making his way into the library and taking a seat in one of the armchairs. A book lay on the small table, bookmark placed close to the center. Finn's reading skills had developed at an astounding rate given his background. Aside from the fiction he still enjoyed, Finn had read a good deal of technical books on crafting, wood and metal work. Finn picked up the book he was currently reading, which explained in detail how to fold origami figurines.

A few minutes later Finn heard a series of knocks on the door. A year ago, the thought of someone finding their alcove would had terrified Finn and sent him rocketing towards Marceline, but Finn knew exactly who was behind the door, and his excitement intensified.

Finn moved to the front entrance, opening the door and giving a big smile to the creature standing on the other side. "Glad to see you made it Pepper." Finn said warmly, stepping to the side to invite the small man inside. "I'm happy to help you Finn." Pepper responded, a polite smile on his face. The small disk-shaped peppermint man walked in, coming to just about Finn's waist. He carried on his back a comically oversized Duluth bag, which caused him a bit of trouble getting through the entrance.

Ever since the "incident" that occurred two years, Marceline has insisted that she and the Royal Candy butler find a better location to conduct business. This caused some distress for Pepper, who vehemently refused to be seen anywhere else within the Candy Kingdom performing questionable business transactions. Eventually Marceline conceded and told him the location of her home so he could deliver her prescription right to her. Marceline felt Pepper was one of the very few people whom she could trust with this information; after all they had been friends for a very, very long time.

Since that had started, Finn had interacted a lot with the somewhat devious servant. Finn had even started to look up to the experienced butler somewhat. They basically had the same job, and he was one of the few people Finn could look up to as a professional role model.

Finn and Pepper entered the kitchen. Pepper set the bag down by the wall while Finn locked both the kitchen and dining room doors. Finn didn't want Marceline coming upon them while they prepared her surprise. Finn made his way to the sink to wash his hands while Pepper began to unpack the bag. He pulled out a huge assortment of food items, ingredients, spices, and various other cooking necessities. He also pulled out the familiar red vial he always brought to give to Marceline. Finn had often wondered what exactly it was, but had not yet been able to ask his Mistress its purpose.

Walking over to appraise the items he had requested of Pepper, he produced a paper list which he handed to the shorter creature. Finn had decided to prepare a huge feast for Marceline to commemorate his anniversary. His culinary skills had developed extensively in the past two years, but for the scale he was going for he knew he would need help, not only in preparing the meal but to acquire the necessary provisions without Marceline's knowledge. Pepper was happy to assist in both matters, for the sake of his old friend as much as her young protégé.

With the sheer amount of supplies now cluttering their work space, Finn wondered how Pepper could have fit all of it inside the bag, large as it was. Finn had gotten the sense in the past that Pepper had experience in some manner of arcane (if not dark) arts; perhaps that had some effect on the matter.

"Well Finn," Pepper started in his rather unique accent, "We'd best get started."


	17. Chapter 17

Finn was busy cutting up a cantaloupe when Pepper asked from his work station, "Finn, how much time should we have before Marceline awakens?" Finn looked away from the cutting board to the nearest clock, which read 11:03. "I'd guess about an hour, hour and a half if she takes a shower."

Finn finished neatly dicing the melon and looked over to Pepper. The small man stood in front of a huge rack of lamb, and was creatively utilizing a compact flamethrower to cook the flesh. The flame produced was relatively small and well controlled. When Pepper pitched his idea to Finn he thought he was insane, terrified he'd burn the house down and that would make for a poor gift.

But Pepper had managed to expertly roast the animal with absolutely no damage to the home interior. "I've gotta say Pepper, I was wrong. You did a great job with this thing." Finn congratulated the small mint. Pepper replied, "Yes, well, I've been in this business a long time kid. I've had plenty of opportunities to test things out."

The oven started beeping then and Finn excitedly turned his attention to it. Grabbing two pot holders, he opened the oven and pulled out one circular pan, then a second, and a third. Each pan held a layer of devil's food cake roughly ten inches in diameter and one and a half inches thick. Finn had been anticipating this for a long time. He wanted to craft his own special cake to reciprocate the one Marceline had produced for him last year. He had spent a great deal of time pouring through some of the old cookbooks he had found, trying to find the perfect recipe. The devil's food recipe immediately caught his eye.

He removed the first cake layer from its pan and placed it on a cooling rack. He went to the fridge and removed a bowl of red frosting he had whipped up earlier. Grabbing a rubber spatula, he applied a generous amount to the top of the cake. After evenly spreading the frosting he took the second cake and placed it on top of the first, spreading a portion of frosting along its top. He placed the final cake on top.

With the cake's basic structure complete, Finn went back to the fridge and retrieved an icing applicator filled with white frosting. Finn went back to the bowl and smothered the cake in the remaining red frosting. Finn then took the applicator and applied the more decorative white frosting. He begun by squirting a ring around the base of the cake. He then put two more rings about where the layers were connected, and a final ring around the top edge. He put eight vertical stripes around the side of the cake. Finally, with great care he crafted an intricate design on the top that took the form of a highly decorative 'M'.

Finn looked over his work with pride. 'She'll definitely love this.' The sound of pipes coming to life upstairs alerted Finn to Marceline's presence. "She is taking a shower, so we've got about thirty or forty minutes to wrap up. How much more do we have to prepare. Pepper was just washing his hands free of the residual food residue and scorch marks. "We've got all the food prepared, you just need to set the table."

Finn moved to start relocating trays to the dining room when he saw Pepper donning his now empty Duluth bag. Confused, Finn set down the item and asked Pepper, "You're not about to leave are you?" "I'm sorry to say that I am." Finn was surprised above all else. "But you helped me make all this, aren't you at least going to stick around to eat?" "Unfortunately I have my own duties I need to attend to yet today, but I was more than happy to help you out Finn. You've done a good thing for Marceline here. And I'm glad to know she has people who really care about her around." This caused Finn to blush somewhat.

Pepper turned and unlocked the kitchen door. But as he was about to exit out the front Finn noticed the vial of bright red liquid still sitting on the counter. "Hey wait. You never got paid for the red stuff." Pepper stopped briefly and looked back over his shoulder, "Tell Marceline this one's on the house. Consider it a gift." And with that he disappeared into the cavern.

Finn was sad their friend would not be joining them, Glob knew he and his mistress alone wouldn't be able to finish of the massive amount of food. But his dour mood dissipated quickly, giddy anticipation returning to replace it. Finn turned around to finish setting up the dining room.

* * *

Marceline was currently observing herself in her mirror, smoothing out the contours of her dress. It was an elegant piece, pure black, that hung gracefully from her shoulder and coming to rest high upon her thighs. The neckline dipped down into a deep v. Dark purple stockings completed her ensemble, fitting skin tight.

Though Marceline lacked the sheer enthusiasm unknowingly displayed by her servant, she herself was looking forward to the day. A year ago she had explained to Finn that they were celebrating the anniversary of her purchase of him. Beyond that, Marceline liked to look at it as sort of a birthday celebration. She had no clue as to his real date of birth, but did know his general age. That's the reason she saw fit to get him a cake last year, and she had another small surprise for him this year.

Exiting her room, she made her way down the hallway. A multitude of extremely pleasant smells seemed to be wafting up from below her, and idly she wondered what her slave had been up to this morning.

Walking down the stairs she noticed the dining room door was open. Coming to a stop outside of it, she was amazed to behold a magnificent spread of delicacies laid out across the table. Finn was just placing a single red rose in a vase centered on the table when he noticed Marceline standing in the doorway. With a smile he turned to face her, bowing respectfully before rising and greeting her with a warm tone, "Happy anniversary Mistress."


	18. Chapter 18

Marceline felt overwhelmed. The scent of fine cuisine permeated the air and enticed her to gorge on the fine feast. She could hardly count the number of dishes, all beautifully prepared and presented on a multitude of silver trays. She didn't even remember owning this much serving ware. Everything looked delicious and extremely tedious to cook.

She noticed stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes and melted cheese, steamed vegetables, a huge fruit platter and chocolate fondue among many other scrumptious dishes. She noticed Finn had even cocked a whole rack of lamb which was set in the corner, a plate of pre-carved flesh resting near it on the table.

"Finn…how...what is all this?" Marceline stuttered out, totally stunned by the grandiose of the meal. "It's a celebration, you know… for our anniversary." Finn replied with his usual nervously casual demeanor, as if this were just another daily chore for him. "It's also… a thank you, you know. For what you did for me last year." He added somewhat sheepishly.

Marceline was baffled. For how little she truly did for him a year hence he really went all out. "Well… come on! The food'll only get colder the longer we wait." Finn said, almost pleading for her to enjoy the meal he had worked so hard to prepare for her. Marceline was still too shocked to get out all of the questions she still had, and honestly the food did look mighty appealing, so she pulled out a seat and sat down.

Finn immediately rushed to fetch a plate for her, filling it with all the best dishes he thought she would want to start with. He placed it in front of her and then simply stood, waiting for her approval. Marceline looked up at his eyes, obviously seeking her appraisal of the food, but she only let out a small laugh. "I'm not starting this meal until you get some food and join me." She said rather jovially.

Finn blushed a little and set about gathering his own food. Once he had his own platter full he took the seat adjacent Marceline's. The two simultaneously dug into the lovingly prepared meal.

Marceline couldn't believe the quality of this food. She knew Finn was a damn good cook on any given day, but this food was on a whole other level. If he were a free man he could have served for the best restaurant in Ooo (not that she would ever let him out from under her thumb).

When she had finished her plate Marceline leaned back in her chair and looked over to Finn, who was about halfway done with his. Finn always ate much slower than her; she suspected this was a lingering response to having grown up on very small portions of food, he made sure to savor every scrap possible.

Finn noticed her staring, then noticed her clean plate. He was awaiting her critique. In answer, Marceline let out a prolonged, very un-lady like belch. Finn's eyes grew in shock, but soon they both burst out laughing.

When she had gotten a hold of herself Marceline said, "Finn this food is incredible, even better than your usual stuff. You really did this all yourself?" Finn then looked down at his plate nervously. "No… Not exactly." At this confession Marceline raised an eyebrow. "Pepper… actually came and helped with a lot of this."

"Wait. Pepper was here and he helped you prepare this huge feast? Where is he now? Why didn't he stay?" Marceline was a little surprised to find that Finn had convinced Pepper to help him out. "I…I tried to get him to stay, but he said he had work to do. Sorry." Finn looked truly pensive, like he had wronged Pepper by asking for his assistance.

Marceline blew a hair out of her face and offered Finn a smile. "Really Finn, don't worry about it, I'll make sure to thank him sometime later. And besides, I'm sure this was all your idea anyway, am I right?" Giving a shy grin, Finn replied in the affirmative. "I… guess so." Satisfied with her information for the moment, Marceline returned to the feast, Finn following suit.

* * *

Twenty minutes later the two had each eaten their fill. Marceline leaned back in her chair and exhaled satisfactorily. Finn craned his neck toward the ceiling, gingerly rubbing his belly. Each felt fit to burst. Finn looked to the table to see the sizable amount of food still left. "I think I may have prepared a bit too much." Marceline appraised the leftovers as well. "It'll get eaten eventually. Most of this stuff should keep good for at least a little while, the meat especially."

Rising from his seat with an audible groan, Finn moved to start collecting the spent dishes, intent on getting started with the cleaning as quickly as possible. He brought the first load to the kitchen sink when he saw Marceline through the wall begin to load up on dishes herself. As she came into the kitchen Finn hurried to take them from her.

"It… It's perfectly alright Mistress. I can handle these myself." Finn said. Marceline gave a small, indignant huff. "Finn, it'll take you forever to clean all this yourself. And honestly, I could use some light work to help burn off some of these calories, so I'm helping. Got it?" Finn, shocked as he was, didn't argue. "Very well…Mistress. Um, then how about you wash the dishes while I put away the food?"

With that, Finn moved to begin collecting all the leftover foodstuffs they'd be tasked with finishing over the next couple weeks. Finn had learned to expect to be surprised when it came to Marceline's behavior; she could act so unpredictable at times. He'd also learned to never attempt to argue with her, she always got what she wanted; and if she wanted to help with work he'd just have to accept that.

More to the point, Finn really wanted to keep Marceline's attention away from the fridge. After all, he had yet to reveal the cake he'd painstakingly prepared. He planned on bringing it out later at night, after they'd had ample time to digest, along with his other surprise for her.

Marceline's thoughts dwelt on her servant's recent actions. 'I literally cannot believe he did all this just to thank me. I don't think he even gets that this day was supposed to be a celebration for HIM. Geez, this really makes my surprise seem pretty lame by comparison. Oh well, I'll just have to outdo him next year.'


	19. Chapter 19

It was now late evening, just prior to 8:00, as Marceline and Finn sat in the lounge watching a movie. Marceline splayed out, taking up the majority of the couch while Finn lay back on the extended arm. They were currently watching a movie that Marceline had put in, and were about halfway through. Finn really enjoyed watching these old movies with his mistress, as much for the actual picture as just being able to sit content alongside his mistress.

Marceline too had really enjoyed the quality time they spent like this. No greater responsibilities on their minds, no duties to fulfill, no roles to uphold, just time to relax. The movie was slowing down at the halfway point and Marceline thought this a good time to give Finn his gift. She paused the movie and spoke to Finn, "Finn, would you be so kind as to get me a bottle of wine?" Though spoken as a question, Finn understood that this still carried the weight of a command, not that he would have refused either way. Plus, this gave him his chance to retrieve his own surprise.

As he disappeared out of the room, Marceline removed a small tub of medicine from under her pillow, which she had hid earlier that day. Marceline had found this stuff during one of her annual trips to the bazaar several months earlier. Marceline never took Finn with her when she went there, fearful that it may dredge up bad memories and highly confident in his safety so long as he remained in her well-hidden house.

The medicine had been pitched as an extremely powerful lotion of sorts, one capable of removing any imperfections on the skin of any species, even scars. She had no reason to be skeptical of its validity; 'miracle cures' found in Ooo far more often than not proved to work exactly as advertised, and any kind of snake oil was often quickly discovered and exposed.

But when she had walked past the strange stall and the pitchman who had gathered a small crowd it was the last thing he said that caught her attention, that the medicine could remove scars. At that time her mind immediately thought of Finn.

The 'incident' two years ago had left Finn with three very prominent scars on his wrist, chest and forehead. Marceline had seen him inspecting these scars when he thought he was alone. Whenever he did he got this look in his eyes, the unmistakable look of fear for what could have happened and pain of the memories of what did happen.

Marceline didn't like to see him pained like that. She realized that healing the deep emotional trauma he suffered could take years, if it could be cured at all. But she thought that if the physical reminders of his torture were gone, it might help to speed the process. Now ready for Finn, all she had to do was wait for him to return. 'Ok, what is taking him so long?'

* * *

Finn, meanwhile, had trod down to the basement. With so much downtime on his hands, Finn had spent a great deal of time sorting through the multitude of old boxes Marceline had stored down here, and he had come upon some interesting things. He had reorganized the basement to better fit his comfort level, Marceline never came down here anyway. He kept all the boxes full of uninteresting things to the left and all of the unexplored boxes to the right. All of the boxes that held things of interest to Finn he kept scattered about the middle. Finn had found many supplies for various crafts, and with his knowledge he acquired form his extensive reading had started a few projects just to see what he was capable of.

He went to a spare table he had found down here and set up. On it was a strange lever that looked somewhat like a guillotine. On the other end of the table was a device that looked like a miniature silver bench with two handles sticking up from each corner. These machines were used to cut and fold sheet metal, respectively, a pile of which sat by the foot of the table leg. In the center of the table was a mangled roll of gift wrap, black with small red stars dotted about, and a small box that someone obviously had difficulty wrapping.

Finn smiled, proud of the work he had done and eager to give his gift to his Mistress. He had almost flown back up the stairs when he remembered what he was actually supposed to be doing and grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack.

Finn climbed back up the stairs, bottle in one hand and box in his pocket. He grabbed a wine glass from the kitchen before entering the lounge and quickly moving to set the bottle on the coffee table. Marceline made a motion to tell him something but he hastily blurted out "PleasejustonesecondMistressI'llberightback." And was out the door before she could get a word in.

Finn went back to the kitchen and grabbed the cake from the fridge. He went back to the lounge and placed the cake down in front of Marceline. "You even made a cake?" Finn nodded. "I hope it's okay. I… never had a chance to make something like this before." Finn left one last time to fetch plates, forks and a knife. Marceline took this time to appraise the cake. If nothing else, it was prepared absolutely beautifully, fully complete with an 'M' to mark it as hers.

Finn returned and cut a piece out to hand to Marceline. "Finn is this devil's food?" Finn replied, worried he had already screwed up just in the selection of cake type, "Ye… Yes. Is there a problem?" Marceline only smirked, "Actually, it's my favorite kind." Without further delay she took a bite. Rich chocolate flavor inundated her tongue, cake crumbling in her mouth and creamy frosting adding an elegant accent.

"Finn…" Marceline started. Finn looked straight at her, eager to hear her reaction. "This is undoubtedly the best cake I've ever had." Finn let out a deep breath and a nervous chuckle, very pleased that his Mistress had so enjoyed his confections. He then took a piece for himself, and was almost as surprised as Marceline to find how good it tasted.

Each finished their piece and an additional one. While Marceline basked in the afterglow of a perfect dessert, Finn pulled out the small box he had retrieved from the basement. "Mistress?" Marceline inclined her head towards him. "I… have one last thing for you." He held the box out in front of himself, offering it to her.

Marceline was completely dumbfounded by this point. After all he had already done today he still had more to give? Delicately, she took the box from him, disbelief evident on her face. She used her nails to slowly tear away at the paper. For all his skills it was almost comical to find he wasn't very adept at wrapping a simple package. The paper tore away to reveal a small box.

She removed the lid, revealing a small metal object placed upon cotton. It was a small, flattened origami construct in the shape of a rabbit, about one inch long. It seemed to be made from thin folded metal, the edges bent over to create a smooth outline. It gleamed surprisingly bright, clearly having been thoroughly polished and perhaps treated with something. A small loop in the back had a thin chain thread through it, turning the charm into a necklace. It was rather simple, but beautiful nonetheless.

"Finn… where did you get this?" Marceline spoke very softly as she lifted the necklace by the chain, closely scrutinizing it." "I made it." He replied. "You made this? How? When?" Marceline couldn't believe him. "Sometime… I mean, whenever I had time. In the basement, you had tools for working sheet metal. I read a book on how to fold origami and just… came up with this." Finn spoke, voice getting softer the whole time.

"Finn…" Marceline was well overwhelmed by now. Finn had shown a staggering amount of devotion towards her… or maybe it was something closer to actual affection. "You've done… so much for me today. Why?"

Finn shifted uncomfortably, almost embarrassedly. "Because…well… everything you've done for me. You're always so nice, you've never mistreated me. And you kinda…saved my life that one time." The mood darkened slightly, neither one of them really liked to remember that event. "And everything else you've done for me. Even you buying me… I just wanted to thank you."

Marceline was almost on the verge of tears. She hadn't quite realized just how important she had become to Finn. She didn't really know what to say at this point. "Finn… did you even realize what today was about?" She asked softly. Finn gave her a questioning, slightly worried look.

"This was the day I was supposed to do something nice for YOU. You do so much for me every day, and for all that you've had to put up with in your life I thought you should have a day where at least one person shows their appreciation for you. That's why I prepared everything last year; for your sake."

Finn didn't know how to respond. He almost felt guilty for what he had done. Marceline had intended to show her appreciation to him and he went around and just did more for her than ever. "Mistress…" He began, but just couldn't figure where to go from here.

"I guess we each just wanted to show our gratitude to the other." Marceline said finally. Finn smiled softly, "Yea." "Well, I don't know how much it'll mean at this point, but I did prepare something for you too." "R…really?" Finn almost let surprise surface before remembering that Marceline had planned for this to be his day all along.

"Yes really." Marceline said, shifting to sit closer to Finn on the couch. Finn watched her approach, her smile once again returning. "Take off your shirt." She ordered. Finn's face went bright red. "W…what?" Marceline giggled, "I told you I had something to give you, but I need you to take off your shirt." Finn was visibly embarrassed and Marceline was loving it. Reluctant as he was, Finn knew better than to disobey an order, and he trusted Marceline anyway.

He unclipped his cloak from around his neck, letting it fall on the couch behind him. Finn then slowly removed his shirt, still very uncomfortable doing so in front of Marceline. Marceline took in his bare torso, which she had not seen since she last treated his wounds. He was still quite skinny, but was not so frail looking any longer. Though this was likely just a result of actually being fed a proper amount of food.

Marceline looked sadly at the huge line going across his center chest. It was far more prominent than the one across his forehead, already a daily reminder to them both how close he came to… But no use dwelling on the past.

Marceline gently placed her hand on his chest, tracing the line of his scar with her finger. Finn somehow managed to blush harder. His whole body was noticeably warm to her touch. Marceline reached behind her to reveal the jar of medicine.

"Finn, I know how bad it hurt when this happened to you." Marceline said, gesturing to his chest. Finn let his head drop a little, not wanting to bring up that memory but more so not wanting to upset his mistress. "I also know how much the memories hurt. I know how just looking at these scars can make you hurt." Marceline took a short pause, taking Finn's injured wrist in her hand, turning it so the she could see the scar. "But I got this medicine. I…can't get rid of the memories Finn. I'm sorry. But I can get rid of the scars, and maybe that will be the first step to putting it behind you."

Finn remained staring down, looking like he was trying extraneously to keep from crying. Marceline opened the jar and, placing a small amount of the gray cream on her finger, gently began to rub along the cut on his wrist. Finn glanced up slightly, then fully as he saw the scar begin to fade before his very eyes.

'Well at least that guy didn't give me a raw deal.' Marceline thought. Once the scar on Finn's wrist had disappeared, she got a larger amount of medicine and began to softly rub it into Finn's chest. Finn had resigned to let Marceline handle his body however she cared to, and simply lay his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes.

When there was no more visible mark on Finn's chest, Marceline moved even closer to him, leaning over top of him. She got one last, small amount of medicine and laid her hand on Finn's head, rubbing the cream in and removing the last scar.

When she had finished she sat back in her original spot on the couch. Finn opened his eyes and brought his wrist to face level. Seeing no scar he craned his neck down to observe his chest. No scar there either. Finn didn't need to confirm that the one on his head was gone as well.

"Mistress, I…Thank you." Marceline chuckled slightly at this. Finn threw his clothing back on as Marceline turned the nearly forgotten movie back on. Both relaxed back into the couch, letting their minds rest once more, losing themselves in the swirling lights and noises of the screen.

* * *

The movie had just ended and Finn was fighting to stay awake. He stood and was about to retire to his room when one last thought crossed his mind. "Mistress?" "Hmm?" Marceline responded with an unintelligible grunt. "What do we do next year?" Marceline sat up, this was actually a good question to consider if they wanted to avoid a conflict like this. She gave a smile towards him, "How about next year we each just do one nice thing for the other." Finn smiled in return, "Okay, deal."

He was about to leave before Marceline stopped him, "Hey Finn, hold up one moment." Finn stopped in his tracks and turned back to Marceline. "Yes Mistress?" Marceline got up and walked over to Finn, bending down and planting a soft kiss on his now clear forehead. Finn's eyes grew huge and his body froze up. Marceline giggled at seeing his reaction, turning around and jumping back onto the couch. "Sleep well Finn."


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys. Back with some chapters. I've got some... interesting ideas I'm working out how to implement in upcoming chapters, we'll see how that goes. Sprained my knee the other day which, take my advice, is just fan-fucking-tastik. Oh shit, auto correct wants me to spell that as fan-fucking-tastily, I kid you not. Anyway, that gave me a lot of time to write while I'm sitting in bed resting my leg. But enough of my miseries, on with the story.**

* * *

Exactly 158 hours later, Marceline stood by the front door waiting on Finn to get ready. She had a luxurious purple cloak draped around her, a suitable replacement for the red one she had sacrificed for Finn's sake two years ago. Her impatience had begun to get the better of her. Tapping her foot she called towards the ceiling, "Hey Finn, hurry it up! I want to get there early enough to get a decent seat!"

As though he had actually heeded her call (though far more likely due to sheer coincidence) Finn came down the stairs at that moment. "S…sorry Mistress. I'm ready to leave now." As always, Finn wore his black cloak, easily concealing the entirety of his small body. One addition had been made to his ensemble. A red scarf had been sewn into the hood of the cloak, able to be worn at neck height or pulled up to conceal the lower portion of his face. This scarf was actually crafted from the remnants of Marceline's old cloak, which was obviously Finn's idea. Above all, it provided an added layer of protection to his identity, and therefore a boon to the sense of security felt by both mistress and slave.

With her ward in tow, Marceline opened the door to lead them out into the cavern. Their destination today was the Candy Kingdom, where an old friend of Marceline's was scheduled to play in a concert with her band. When Marceline learned of her friend's performance from local advertisement, she planned to attend the concert and surprise her friend afterward.

The venue for the concert was a grand plaza located close to the heart of the city, a heavily populated area. A stark contrast to the Candy Tavern, Marceline felt much better bringing Finn with her to attend the concert, the area was very safe and well policed.

Finn himself was quite excited to attend the concert. Marceline had occasionally displayed her musical talents, sometimes singing for Finn or playing her bass guitar, which he really enjoyed. It was not something she did often, really more of a hobby, and Finn anticipated her friend's performance.

His anxiety had also diminished since his first, eventful visit to the kingdom. For a time after the 'incident', Finn had been far too terrified to so much as leave the cave, and completely unwilling to even go near the city that had caused his so much trouble.

But eventually Marceline was able to 'coerce' him into visiting the city once more. Marceline made sure to keep to well-populated areas and NEVER let him out of her site. Over the course of many trips, Finn eventually began to see the kingdom for the magnificent center of civilization it was (on the surface), and had grown quite endeared to the city.

Coming to the entrance of the cave, each put up their hoods in preparation to deter the solar rays, while Finn, additionally, pulled up his face mask, coming to rest on the bridge of his nose. Before exposing themselves fully to the daylight, Marceline pulled out the vial of red liquid that, according to Finn, had been gifted to her by Pepper for Finn's anniversary. She uncapped the vial and downed the fluid in one gulp.

Immediately after, the two emerged into the canyon, heading in the general direction of the Candy Kingdom. They had a least a couple hours of walking ahead of them and though both were totally comfortable traveling in silence, Finn had decided now would be the perfect time to finally ask about the mystery drink that seemed so important to his mistress.

"Mistress?" he started, speaking rather meekly. Marceline had grown to recognize certain tones in Finn's speech, and this one indicated he was about to ask something he believed may upset her. She chuckled internally, for he was never right in this assumption. "Yes Finn?"

"I've been wondering, for a while actually… well… what exactly is that red stuff?" This actually caught Marceline off guard. She had planned to explain to him her 'situation' much sooner, but he showed no signs of curiosity and it eventually just slipped her mind. Finn only knew she wasn't human, and that was enough to sate his curiosity.

'Well I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain.' She thought, not exactly loving the idea of having to explain her physiology to her servant. Marceline began, "That question… may require some background information." She looked over to see Finn watching her, face a perfect picture of patient anxiety.

"Finn, by now you know I'm not a human like you, right?" Marceline asked. Finn nodded his confirmation. "Well, I used to be…sort of, partway. I was only ever half human, and about the time I turned 19 I gave up the human half." She checked back to see how Finn was taking this. His face betrayed shock.

"That day I gave up my humanity, I became a vampire." Marceline looked again to Finn, but his expression had changed to that of confusion. "You're a… vampire?" Finn asked in disbelief. "Yea, that's right." Finn's voice grew more incredulous, "But you USED to be human?" "Uh-huh." Marceline replied. "But I thought you said…" Marceline interrupted, "Finn I'm just going to stop you there. I'm sorry, but I was telling the truth when I said I didn't know anything about recent humans. This happened…. Centuries ago. Almost a thousand years."

Marceline could tell Finn was slightly saddened to find that, though she was once human, she had no knowledge of the current predicament of humanity. More surprising to her was the fact that Finn seemed relatively unconcerned with her current status as a vampire. "Finn… are you scared of me now that you know I'm a vampire?"

Curiously, Finn replied in his usually meek yet slightly upbeat manner, "I guess not. I… heard some stories back at the slave camp about vampires, but everyone always said they were horrible monsters who fed on people. You're not like what they told me." Marceline was pleasantly surprised by Finn's lax attitude on the subject.

"Um, Mistress? You still haven't explained about the red juice." Marceline had all but forgotten how this conversation actually started. "I'm sure parts of the myths you heard had some amount of truth to them. As a vampire, I… require certain dietary supplements." Finn craned his neck, clearly lost.

Marceline huffed out a breath, "I have to drink blood Finn. When a vampire goes too long without taking any blood they start to go insane, murderously so. That red stuff that Pepper always gives me is demon's blood. It's more… potent than almost any other species, and can keep me calm for a couple months, usually."

The two walked in somewhat uncomfortable silence for a while longer. Marceline was extremely worried her revelations had alienated her from her slave. "Finn, I'd really appreciate some feedback on what I've just told you. I understand if you see me as a monster now."

Marceline's vocalization made Finn stop in his tracks, which caused Marceline to stop as well and face him. "Marceline… I could never be afraid of you, or hate you, or see you as anything other than what you are. You are my Mistress. Nothing has changed about you since you explained this." Finn offered his most genuine smile, "And I promise to stick by you, no matter what the rest of the world thinks about you."

Marceline could tell how serious he was. Finn never used her name unless they were discussing an incredibly serious matter. Whenever he did it made him seem… closer to her than just a slave.

Marceline was having some measure of difficulty sorting through the emotions welling up inside of her. But for Finn's sake she suppressed whatever feelings of self-doubt she had at the moment, and finally reciprocated his smile. She spoke in as straight a voice as she could muster, "Thank you Finn. Now come on, we've still got about an hour ahead of us.


	21. Chapter 21

Marceline led Finn down the main street of the city, which led right from the main gate all the way to the heart of the city, the Candy Palace. Towards the far middle of the road, they turned onto a side street and walked a short distance. They came to a stop in a large plaza. The plaza was open on the end facing the street, and stretched back a distance, ringed on all sides by various buildings.

A fountain stood in the center, gleaming, made of the same white material used throughout the city. A brilliant blue liquid was pumped up through the top and pooled down at the bottom.

Many candy people, easily hundreds, milled about the plaza. Several Market stands were scattered about the grounds, selling nifty trinkets and fast food. The place was somewhat reminiscent of the bazaar, but not nearly as big and noticeably more… civilized.

Towards the back end a huge construct had been temporarily erected. The stage where the bands would perform was of decent size. Several civic workers moved about the area, carrying wires, speakers, and other miscellaneous sound equipment, clearly in preparation for the big show.

Marceline led Finn off to one side of the plaza to stand in the little bit of shade offered by the buildings. Finn walked directly to Marceline's side and slightly back, so he would always have her close and in his range of vision. Taking refuge in the shade, Marceline pulled out an old ornamental wristwatch, sans the actual band.

If the concert did indeed start at the posted time, then they still had a couple of hours to wait until the event began. Although Marceline came specifically to see her friend perform, several other local bands were also slated to play tonight, hence a relatively early start for a concert.

Finn had been gazing over the plaza, absorbing every tiny detail in the scenery down to each passing pedestrian. Marceline noticed he did this with literally every new place he was unfamiliar with. When they were taking known paths, Finn always either had his eyes forward or on her. But when he found himself in unfamiliar territory his eyes raced every which way, as though he could memorize every specific detail with little more than a passing glance; and honestly, Marceline had no reason to suspect he couldn't.

'Well, we've got at least two hours to kill, might as well check out the plaza.' Marceline stepped away from the wall, nudging Finn to alert him of their movement. "Come on Finn, let's see if they have a juice bar or something around here."

* * *

Several hours later, the two found themselves sitting at a table outside of a café on the plaza. The sun was setting, having just slipped behind the massive walls of the city, casting a brilliant orange glow upon the white buildings and giving the city an almost golden hue.

Boredom had begun to gnaw at Marceline. She had guessed that a concert of this size would involve at least some pre-show entertainment, but was sorely mistaken. As such, she and Finn had spent far more time lazily meandering about the plaza than either had cared for.

Just as Marceline was about to consider banging her head open on a wall to alleviate some pressure, she heard feedback coming from the stage and the low rumble of a slowly growing audience.

The two had been so inattentive that neither had noticed when an actual band began to set up on the stage, nor the crowd filling in to observe the show. Marceline looked over to the stage to see the opening band's front man approach the microphone to welcome the audience.

"Hey Finn." Marceline tried to get his attention, but when he offered no immediate response she focused her attention back on him. Finn was staring off towards the taller buildings of the city that caught the sunset, completely lost in his own little world.

Marceline cracked a wad of hardened gum off from under the table and threw it at Finn, hitting him square in the temple. Even that took a moment to register, as it was several seconds after being stricken that Finn shook himself out of his dreamscape and turned his attention to his mistress.

"The show's starting Finn, let's go find a good spot." With that, Marceline rose from her seat, urging Finn to follow her towards the crowd. As they came to the mass of people Finn's anxiety started to surface slightly, and he reached a hand out to take hold of Marceline's cloak, intent on not being lost in the crowd.

The concert was generally rock oriented, in that each band performing was in some way a rock band. However each one did bring with them their own style and flare that made for a fairly diverse and impressive range of performances. Marceline was able to lose herself in the music rather quickly.

Finn took a bit longer to adjust to the scene, not at all accustomed to being in such a large crowd. But eventually his nerves began to settle as he realized that the more people were around him, the less likely people were to take notice of him. As the night wore on Finn gradually began to relax more and more, and had begun to really enjoy the music being played

* * *

By the time Marceline's friends got to their first set the sun had completely disappeared. The plaza, however, was set aglow with a multitude of city lights, giving a totally new feel to the venue. The crowd had constantly been shifting; sometimes more bodies seamlessly blended in and other times whole groups left at once. Through it all, Marceline and Finn had stayed close to the center, lost in the shifting tunes, but never leaving one-another's sight.

Marceline lightly elbowed Finn, pointing him towards the stage to signify that her friend was coming up. Finn looked that way, and though they were a fair distance from the stage he could clearly make out the girl approaching the microphone. She appeared relatively humanoid, except for her bright teal skin. She had odd markings painted onto her face and was dressed in crude fur loincloths.

Finn vaguely recalled having seen people like her in the bazaar two or three times, but could not recall ever hearing anything about them. In answer to his unasked question Marceline explained, having to shout to be heard over the roar of the crowd, "That's Milly, the one we came to see. She's one of the jungle people who live way down south. I met her about fifteen years back when I was bumming around the rain forests."

Milly addressed the crowd, "Thank you all for coming out here tonight. It's been great so far, we've got a lot of energy going on out there, and we're gonna keep things moving." At that her band broke into song, Milly herself providing lead vocals. Her band was performing some form of indie rock, medium paced and very upbeat. Excitement returning anew, Finn and Marceline let themselves become enthralled by the pleasing noises once more.

* * *

Elsewhere in the plaza, three licorice men had been celebrating the concert in a much different manner. Each had a bottle of potent beer in their hand, none of which were their first. They had come to the concert to party hard and drink harder, music venues being the go to place to do such things.

All three were quite intoxicated by the time Milly's band was up to play, and were feeling rather cocky as well as a little violent. To one with this knowledge, the next series of events would come as no surprise.

A second group of guys, four lollipop men, were making their way across the plaza when one of them accidentally bumped into a licorice fellow, staggering as he was due to the alcohol. The licorice man had his beer knocked from his hand, and became quickly enraged at the lollipop.

Spouting drunken nonsense, the licorice roughly shoved the lollipop, knocking him a few steps back. This drew the attention of both groups of friends, each now shouting arguments and profanities at one another. A second shove from the same licorice man crossed the line for the lollipop, who threw a staggering punch into the licorice's face.

Drunken fury overtook the other two licorice, and as soon as the third had recovered they jumped at the lollipop group, initiating the melee. Savage blows were exchanged on either side, but all participants were extremely stubborn and refused to yield.

Having been on the edge of the concert crowd, they began to attract a crowd of their own. Various candy citizens, as well as a few other guests, circled the group, whooping aloud and calling out.

The fighters were getting sloppy with exhaustion, and one wayward punch managed to find its way into the crowd. Bodies collided with bodies, people shoved and were shoved, and blood began to run hot as people's agitation reached breaking point. It only took a few onlookers with the shortest fuses to start throwing punches of their own

What started out as a small scuffle between two groups of friends had spread to the whole back corner of the crowd. Things were quickly escalating as the fight continued to spread. Everyone in the crowd faced the option of joining the brawl or running away. Many chose the latter, but a sizable portion of the crowd had devolved to join the brawl. Soon enough all the music stopped, the band realizing they had lost the crowd and not wanting to stick around for the mass display of violence, leaving only the sound of utter chaos as people rioted against one another.

* * *

The fight broke out with such speed neither Finn nor Marceline had any time to notice it before they were caught in the middle. They didn't actually realize anything was wrong until Milly's band quit mid-song and fled the stage. The two only had time to exchange a confused look before a large body flew between them, sending them into opposite sides of the crowd.

At that point neither could have found the other, as bodies shifted all around them in constant motion. Several bolted past them, knocking into their shoulder as they attempted to escape while all around them moronic individuals lashed out at one another.

* * *

Finn's mind went into full panic as his mistress became lost to him in the crowd of rioters. Finn did his best to shelter himself, pulling his mask fully over his face and holding his cloak closed tight around him. He did his best to avoid the pulsating masses that were the other former concert-goers, but found it to be nearly impossible.

Finn was knocked forward and back as civilians bumped and bashed into his much smaller frame. The physical abuse and deafening roar of dissidence was taking its toll on Finn's mental health, compounded by the knowledge that he was totally separated from Marceline. His vision began to blur and his pulse quickened. His breathing was erratic. Finn's focus was absolutely devastated by being constantly shifted about in the crowd.

Finn's thoughts were spiraling deep into fear. 'Oh grod! What's happening! Where's Mistress! These people are going to hurt me! I'm not safe! I'm not safe! I'm not safe! Wait!' Finn had a small moment of clarity, taking that opportunity to bite down hard on his tongue. Finn let out a muffled scream, lips sealed for the pain he had inflicted on himself.

But this pain allowed him to get a grip on his psyche, reeling in his mind before it completely got away from him. 'Get… A hold... Of yourself.' Finn's teeth grit as he expended an immense amount of effort to control his thoughts. He could taste blood leaking from his tongue.

'Okay. Pay attention. These people are not trying to hurt me.' True enough, Finn noticed he was not actually the specific focus of anyone's aggression. He was so small compared to the majority of the brawlers as to be almost completely unnoticed. He was only shoved around as a result of the others trying to get at each other.

'Just get away from these people. Marceline will find you.' Finn thought, speaking to himself. He had to escape from the crowd if he was ever going to find Marceline and get home. With his mild bout of psychosis receding, Finn's vision became much clearer. With extreme attentiveness, he was able to avoid the majority of the bodies being tossed about him. Slowly he wormed his way through the crowd, trying his best to stay in one direction to hit the edge.

Finn could see a break in the crowd, and with one last dodge of a collapsing fighter, he exploded into the open space. He continued to jog forward as he cautioned a glance back at the crowd, resulting in his crashing into a very solid object.

Before Finn could even be thrown back by the recoil, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders and held him steady. "Don't think you're going anywhere but into a cell buddy!" A very authoritative voice screamed at Finn. He looked up to see his captor, a giant banana man, no wait, these were the city guards!

It was then Finn noticed the blaring sirens and flashing lights on the plaza, as dozens of banana guards charged toward the crowd, intent on restoring order. Finn was about to blurt out his predicament to the guard who held him, hopefully he would understand he was just a child and help him instead of lock him up. Before he could do anything, however, a glass bottle was launched high into the air from within the crowd. The bottle came down and shattered atop Finn's skull, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Whereas Finn was overcome with fear when the two separated, Marceline was overcome with fury. She at the very least had the presence of mind to scream out to him as he disappeared among the horde. Immediately she was clawing her way through the masses in his last direction, desperate to relocate him before something seriously bad happened… again.

Marceline, unfortunately, did not have Finn's advantage of ignorable height, and was fully subject to random blows thrown out by the relentless brawlers. For the most part the crowd operated on savage animal instincts. Catching an eye with someone less than four feet away meant the two would come to blows.

When first attempting to make her way back to Finn, a scruffy candy-corn man tried to throw an elbow in her face. Marceline had no intention of going all-out to punish these morons, nor was she starved for blood. However, that did not mean Marceline wouldn't appropriately injure anyone who got in her way. When Marceline spotted the elbow flying towards her she threw an elbow of her own. The two connected, but vampire bone was much denser than candy bone, and only the attacker's elbow was shattered.

Another girl, a cat woman apparently here for the concert, leapt at Marceline and tried to claw her face. Marceline grabbed her by both wrists, stopping her swipe before she connected. Tossing her arms back, Marceline used both hands to grab her by the neck and toss her to the side into another fight. The fight wore on like this for another five minutes, Marceline desperately attempting to move out of the crowd but unable to avoid the dozens of people initiating fights with her.

Finally Marceline downed her last opponent, having delivered a crippling blow to a taffy-man's celiac plexus (or equivalent region). But the fighting began to slowly die down as more and more citizens noticed the flashing lights and sirens. A few managed to run away from the area, but the majority now had to deal with the battalion of banana guards now approaching them.

The arrival of the guards only created a new kind of chaos, as some of the more tempered citizens tried to fight with the guards. The banana guards were, however, far superior to rioters, having been genetically engineered with enhanced strength and resilience to better protect the city and its people. All who resisted were quickly incapacitated, and many, many arrests were made.

With the crowd now more dispersed, Marceline was able to see farther out into the plaza. Gazing toward the street end she was able to make out a notably small figure in a black cloak. She attempted to call out to him, but he was too far away. Worse yet, she saw him get snatched by a banana guard and taken away, probably towards the station.

She was too focused on Finn to notice the two guards come up on either side and grab her by both arms. She cried out in surprise, and was about to make an attempt at escape when a thought crossed her mind.

'I could easily overpower these two, but it really wouldn't help me to get in trouble with the law. Finn's gone, but at least I know he's just in police custody, so he should be relatively safe. Okay, I'll just let them take me in for now. I'll be out soon enough once they realize who they've arrested.'


	22. Chapter 22

**Good evening all. I won't lie, finding the right direction to take this is slowly becoming more difficult. But some of the comments left by you good people have given me some interesting ideas I may try to incorporate in this story. It's already gone far, far beyond what I had originally envisioned. So I guess I'll just keep playing it by ear, see where that takes us. My knee's still pretty bum, but is slowly recovering. Eh, but I must be sickening you at this point, so on with the story.**

* * *

The first banana guard made his way back to the station, carrying a small body in his arms. The station was the primary office space for the guard force. Walking in through the front revealed a common lobby-type area. A front desk with a sole guardsmen sitting bored behind it was placed on the wall directly opposite the door. Several chairs and desks piled with magazines were placed around the edges of the room. Two doors existed in either far corner, leading out further into the station.

When the guard behind the desk noticed his compatriot coming in with a body he seemed confused. He knew a huge portion of the police brigade had been dispatched to deal with a riot, but normal procedure would have anyone arrested taken to the jail, not the station.

Curiosity evident in his voice, he asked his counterpart, "First catch of the night? Why'd you bring him back here?" The standing guard walked closer to the desk to respond, "I'm not sure this one was actually rioting. He looks like he's just a kid and doesn't look like he's been fighting."

The desk guard questioned further, "If he wasn't fighting than why's he knocked out?" To which the other replied, "I think he was actually running form the fight when he ran into me. I grabbed him but a bottle came outa nowhere and hit him on the head. I figured I should probably take him here instead of locking him up with all those crazies."

The guard behind the desk scratched his head. This was a quandary. On the one hand the suspect was clearly a minor, and not even a candy person. On the other he was caught at the scene of a massive riot. He made his decision. "I guess we better just put him in the holding cell for now. We'll figure out what to do with him tomorrow when everything's died down."

The standing guard made for the right exit when he stopped suddenly. "Hey is the cell actually vacant right now?" The desk guard replied, "Not exactly. We got a 'regular' back there, but I really don't think he'll cause a problem." The other shrugged his shoulders and left the room.

The right exit led back into a long room stretching to the back of the building. The majority of the room was filled with lockers. Most of the lockers in the room were used as personal lockers by the officers. A large structure in the corner opposite the door held a bigger structure, which looked like a vault with multiple doors. This was used to store evidence, and a small computer station next to it was used to log everything stored in there.

In the far back corner was a single cell. Two walls of iron bars connected into the two walls jutting from the corner. The solid walls each had a bench alongside them, but the cell was otherwise barren. A single cage door was placed on one of the bar walls. The cell lacked the more permanent structures of a real jail cell. This was because it was typically used as a temporary holding cell, often holding someone for no more than a week. Criminals kept here were usually of the petty variety.

The guard unlocked the door, stepping in to lay the boy down on the empty bench. The other inhabitant of the cell lay with his arms behind his head on the other bench. Seeing the guard lay down the unconscious newcomer, he spoke up, "Geez Larry, that kid must've been one tough customer if you had to knock him out to bring him here. What'd he do, rob a lemonade stand?"

The guard simply snorted at him. "Yea, yea, real hilarious. Listen, don't you go giving any grief to this kid or I'll have you thrown in big-boy jail so fast your tail will have to sprint to catch up with the rest of you." The inmate just waved him off, "Take it easy man, I'll take good care of the child." He said, somewhat mockingly in a pseudo-sagely voice. The banana guard rolled his eyes, leaving the two alone in the cell.

* * *

Unlike Finn, most of the rioters who were arrested at the scene had been taken to the primary candy jail on the other side of the city. Marceline was no exception. However she was not sitting in a cell waiting on officers to collect evidence, testimonies, and sort out this whole mess like the rest of the arrested.

Marceline sat in front of a desk in out-processing, a brightly lit room with many similar desks spread in a grid pattern. She had her hands placed on the desk, both wrists band together by hardened pretzel handcuffs.

When Marceline had been arrested at the plaza she, along with several other individuals, had been placed in a police van to be taken to the jail. Before she was thrown into a cell, however, she managed to pull aside an officer and convince him to take something to the guard in charge of the building. He agreed, and had left her at this desk while he had a discussion with the warden.

She turned her face towards the door when she heard it open and saw the same(?) banana guard return, now looking visibly frightened. He took a seat behind the desk, doing his best to maintain a passive look, but Marceline could see the fear in his eyes. Slowly he pulled a small key out from a pouch on his belt and moved it towards her handcuffs. Marceline noticed his hands trembling.

He unlocked the cuffs, and Marceline pulled her wrists back, lightly massaging them to alleviate the discomfort they had accumulated. He spoke to her then, desperately attempting to maintain his dignity but not able to stop his voice from cracking slightly, "I am… terribly sorry about this mix-up, ma'am… I'm sure you had nothing to do with instigating this… incident. I hope you'll accept my apologies and I promise to have you out of here as… fast as possible." When he had stopped he took out a silver card and handed it to Marceline.

She took it back from him, sliding it into her cloak, and flashed him a polite smile. "Really, there are no hard feelings, after all that whole scene was pretty nuts." The guard replied, "Y… yes ma'am. Now… if you'd please just sign this release from you'll be free to go." He produced a pen and a sheet of paper crammed with a lot of legal jargon. All Marceline understood of it was the empty line with an 'X' next to it, where she signed her name. As soon as she released the pen she stood, looking towards the exit.

She didn't leave immediately though, instead addressing the guard again, "Actually, before I go there's one more thing I was hoping to ask." The guard nodded for her to continue. "I was attending the event with a… associate, of mine. I saw him apprehended by guards, and was wondering if I could retrieve him before I depart."

The guard looked somewhat unsure, "I… suppose you could. Normally you'd have to post bail after we had everyone processed, but given your… pull, I'm sure I could get him back to you. Could you describe him?" Marceline responded, "He's a rather short, young kid. Wearing a black cloak and maybe a red bandana."

The guards expression changed to worry, which in turn began to worry Marceline, "Well, I'm pretty sure we didn't have anyone matching that description enter the jail. I oversaw all the unloading of the criminals."

Marceline couldn't decide if she was more fearful or pissed. "I KNOW, I saw him get taken away by a banana guard." The guard was quivering in his chair. "It… It's p… possible he didn't get taken here. W… we are pretty crowded now so may… maybe he got taken to one of the stations."

Marceline let out a frustrated sigh. "So you're telling me I'll have to go all the way back across town to the station closest to the concert site?" The guard fearfully nodded. "Ughh. Fine. Thank's for everything." She said sarcastically. Now again a free woman, Marceline left the jail to track down her wayward companion.


	23. Chapter 23

Finn stared into a face of what his young mind could only conceive of as pure evil. Sagging yellow flushsurrounding sunken, spiteful eyes. Cracked lips curled around rotted teeth in a malicious growl. His horrible features were amplified by the framing of the dark iron helmet protecting his cranium, twisted spires rising from either side in crude horns.

The brute eyed Finn in detest, not noticing or caring that he was only a child; he was lost in a battle frenzy. The man reached down and lifted a smoldering piece of lumber in his giant hands. Positioning it as easily as if it were a javelin, he launched the missile straight at Finn.

Everything seemed to slow down as Finn watched the wood slowly encroaching upon him, seeing every foot it traversed as it flew towards his body. Finn felt the sickening crack of his ribs as the projectile crashed into his chest. Kinetic energy shot through Finn shattering his bones and ejecting him from his perch. Finn's neck whipped back, vision shifting from the madman to the sky, completely concealed by thick black smoke. A very familiar voice called out in panic as Finn was tumbling through the air, screaming his name. The voice and everything else was lost as his head slammed into the Earth.

* * *

Finn jolted awake, hands flying to encircle his cranium. A dull throbbing headache clouded his mind, but the pain was not at all what he was expecting given the nature of his fall. 'Wait… no. That was just the dream. So then why does my head hurt?'

Finn cautioned a glance at his surroundings. White light filled the room, harsh on his eyes and exacerbating his headache. He seemed to be in a… cage? 'I'm not back… no, this is a building, not a tent.' Sure enough, Finn could see that just beyond the bars lay a strange room filled totally with metal lockers and some sort of giant safe. No canvas comprised the walls, as was what he often saw through bars, but solid white material.

"He-hey, it lives." A strange voice called out, very near to Finn. Shaking off some of the grogginess typical of awakening from a trauma-induced blackout, Finn forced himself to full alertness, quickly bringing his head up and with it a rush of pain and nausea. Becoming dizzy, Finn swayed in his seat, but managed to plant his feet on the ground and lean back against the wall to steady himself.

The voice spoke out again, "Whoa, take it easy there buddy. You look like you took one too many shots upside the head. That or one too many down the hatch." Focusing his vision as best he could, Finn turned towards the source of the noise.

He was not alone in his cell. Laying down on the bench perpendicular to his was a dog person, appearing to be some manner of yellow bulldog. He had his hands behind his head, but had turned his neck to look at Finn, whose face was concealed in the shadows of his cloak. He seemed very relaxed for someone who was incarcerated.

Finn's roommate, however, was the least of his worries right now, as for the life of him he couldn't remember how he got here, or even where 'here' was. As Finn glanced about the room with a confused look, the stranger could guess that he didn't remember how he had gotten here.

"What's the matter, first time in the slammer? Yeah, happens to all the kids first time they go out partying. They got all excited and cocky and put away way more booze than they can handle, do something stupid and get busted by the cops." The Stanger spoke, not actually caring whether Finn was even listening. "Man, you must've had something to prove to somebody, I could smell the beer on ya from a mile away."

Finn subconsciously began to tune into his own scents, and did indeed notice a very bitter aroma surrounding him. He lightly touched the exterior of his cloak, noticing it had become wet at some point. Whatever it was seemed to be the source of the smell.

The stranger interrupted his train of thought yet again, "You must not really be the talkative type I'm guessing. Or are you just so trashed you can't even feel your tongue." Finally paying more serious attention to his cellmate, Finn shot him a confused look.

"Hey, I aint judging or anything man. It happens to the best of us." It did not escape Finn that the stranger spoke in very friendly and carefree manner. Deciding he apparently didn't pose a threat to him at the moment, Finn attempted to see if he knew anything about his current situation. "Where… am I?"

The dog flashed him a wide grin, "Aha, so you can speak. And yet you've let me run my mouth without even trying to contribute to the conversation. I don't care how drunk you are, that's just bad manners." The dog feigned a hurt look before quickly losing his composure and breaking into a fit of laughter.

Finn may have felt insulted by the dog's insinuations, but his tone and mannerisms were just so… disarming that Finn couldn't bring himself to feel anger, or even frustration at him. After calming down, the stranger continued, "Eh heh, eh heh… ehhh I'm just messing with ya kid. To answer your question, you're in a holding cell in a police station."

'Police… police…' Wheels were starting to turn in Finn's head as recent memories resurfaced. 'I was with Mistress… at the concert… when the fight broke out… and the guard caught me, and…' but Finn's memory became a blank after that. Evidently, in the span of time he couldn't remember, he had blacked out and been taken here.

"You know kid, you look kinda young to be drinking. OOH, you were trying to impress a girl weren't you?" The stranger was clearly a lunatic and had no idea what he was talking about. Still, the way he acted was so open Finn couldn't bring himself from wanting to continue the conversation, if just to set the record straight. "No, actually… I've never drank in my life. I guess someone must've spilled something on me."

The stranger continued to speak in his jovial manner, "All right, now we're making some actual progress. So tell me kid, if you weren't caught drinking what did you do to get thrown in here? Burglary? Arson? Larceny? Burglearsonarceny? Stop me if I get it." His listing of potential crimes was absurd, but delivered in a way that made clear the talker was deliberately absurd. Finn couldn't help himself from cracking a small smile at his new companion's antics.

Rapidly becoming more comfortable with the stranger, Finn decided to explain his story to the canine. "I was with my m… friend, and we were at a concert somewhere in the city. It was late, and for some reason the whole crowd just started fighting each other. We got separated, so I tried to run away from the crowd. I got out, but a guard caught me. Then…I don't know. I just remember being caught then waking up here."

Finn had decided it would be best if he didn't reveal himself as a slave. After all, some people were rather hostile towards certain classes; and though this fellow certainly didn't seem the type Finn preferred to air on the side of caution.

The stranger blew a raspberry at him, "pfffzzzttt, man, that's kinda lame. I've been going crazy with boredom in here, and I was hoping to hear a story with a little more excitement." The dog's persona was quite infectious, and Finn was becoming more animated than ever before. He decided to challenge the dog as he would to him, "Alright mister bigshot, what did you do to wind up here?"

It momentarily occurred to Finn that he shouldn't be concerning himself with this madman. He should be worrying about how his mistress will locate him. He should be trying to contact the guards and sort things out. But Finn couldn't deny that he was actually starting to enjoy interacting with this colorful character.

The dog lifted himself to a sitting position, facing Finn, and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, you got me. My crime isn't so much more brilliant than yours. Actually, I was caught stealing a bike."

Now it was Finn's turn to laugh. "After all that talk of being disappointed and you're here because you stole a bike! Wouldn't they just fine you for that?" The Stranger's hand went to scratch the back of his head. "Yea, but I'm kind of a frequent customer here, if you catch my drift. And believe me when I say I've done my fair share of wild things."

Finn's current situation, worries, and plans escaped his mind now. For the time, he didn't care about getting out of here, or finding Marceline. He was happy simply to be in such pleasant company. He had just met this stranger not twenty minutes ago, but he felt as if they had been old friends who just reunited. Now intrigued by these supposed stories the stranger promised, Finn said to him, "Oh now this I've gotta hear."

* * *

After having left the boy in the cell, the banana guard who had captured him walked out of the locker room and back into the lobby. He let out an extended groan, which caught the attention of his cohort behind the desk. "Man, it's gonna be a long night isn't it? I've gotta make coffee." Before he had a chance to head off to the break room his counterpart stopped him.

"Say man, did anything about that kid strike you as odd?" The standing guard turned to give a tired look to the desk guard. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean the way the kid looked. He definitely wasn't candy person." Realization was slowly creeping into the standing guard's eyes.

"Yea, you're right. In fact he didn't really look like any normal kind of guy." The sitting guard chimed in, "He wasn't food, not an animal, not mad of stone or ice or fire." "He almost looked…" The two finished in unison, "human."

The two guards cast astonished glances at one another. The standing one asked, "What do you think? Could he really be an actual human?" The sitting one replied, "Or at least close to it. To be safe we'd better make the call." With that he picked up the phone and dialed a number connecting him to the Royal Candy Palace guard contingent.


	24. Chapter 24

**Ughhh, it's late and I have to get up early in the morning. Yet instead I find myself compelled to write and finally get these chapters out to you, my adoring patrons. Anyway, things continue to creep along as I try to figure out what happens next. As you may have noticed, my writing strengths lie more in narrative text than in dialogue, and issue I've been attempting to address in these last few chapters. I don't know, tell me if it seems I'm using too little dialogue. Okay, my words are done for tonight, so on with the story.**

* * *

"Are you one hundred percent positive?"…"We'll look, I don't want to bother her with something like this unless you're sure you've got something worthwhile."… "(Sighs), okay, I'll inform her." The banana guard hung up the phone, none too happy about the call he just received. On the one hand, if it turned out to be legitimate things could turn out very well. On the other, if it turned out to be a hoax then someone would surely get chewed out.

The guard stood from his station in the security room. He appeared near identical to the standard guards in the city with the exception of two silver pauldrons on his shoulders, signifying that he belonged to the Royal Guard.

Exiting the room, he began his long walk through the grand hallways of the candy palace. He came outside a door that lead to the private study of the monarch of the Candy Kingdom, his employer, his creator. He knocked several times on the ornate door. "You may enter," A faint voice called out from within the room.

Opening the door, the royal guard stepped into the brightly lit room before shutting the door behind him. He took a few steps toward his ruler before taking a knee and bowing respectfully.

"What did you need to tell me?" Asked a voice sweetly feminine, yet hiding a somewhat dark undertone. The guard rose back to his feet and cleared his throat before starting, "I've just received a call from Precinct Seven. They claim to have in their possession a detainee whom they believe to be human, or overtly humanoid in appearance."

The young woman lifted her face from out of her hands to stare wide-eyed at the guard. "Can you corroborate this claim?" She asked, intense apprehension masked by monotone caution. The guard replied, "I cannot ma'am. I can only report what these city guards have told me over the phone."

The woman's brow furled, her inner voices debating on whether or not she should personally investigate this matter. After all, the issue was extremely important to her on a personal level. But experience has told her to expect major disappointment in these cases. In the end, she knew she couldn't afford to ignore any opportunity.

She commanded her soldier, "Go have my personal guards prepare my carriage and be ready to escort me to the Precinct." The guard replied, "Yes ma'am." Before giving a short bow and taking his leave.

The young ruler leaned back in her chair, eyes shut, and massaged her temples. 'Well this is proving to be an exhausting night. First I get word that She of all people showed up and got arrested, and now I get to go an yet another wild goose hunt.' She groaned inwardly. But having plenty of experience dealing with far more exasperating situations, she beat down her personal annoyances and prepared for her departure.

* * *

Marceline had finally come to the station she had been told was closest to the riot scene. Her muscles ached from the amount of physical exertion she had been forced to display tonight, and she was desperate to find Finn so they could get home and collapse.

She swung the doors open and marched in, up to the front desk with the lone banana guard sitting behind it. He had been reading a magazine and nearly jumped out of his seat when Marceline burst through the doors. It was very late and people usually didn't come in at this hour unless it was a serious emergency, and that happened rarely.

As Marceline approached the desk the guard greeted her in standard form, "Good evening miss. Is there something I can help you with?" Marceline looked noticeably fatigued. Her shoulders slumped and she was fighting to keep her eyelids up. She spoke in a weary voice, "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Young kid, black cloak, not a candy person."

They only had two inmates at the moment, and the guard immediately realized that one matched her description. He answered, "I believe we have someone matching that description in the back."

Marceline relaxed and let out a relived breath, "Okay, so can I just post his bail and get him out of here?" The banana guard replied, "Unfortunately it's not that simple right now." Marceline's relived expression changed to that of growing agitation, "What?"

The guard continued, "Well, it's not really clear what exactly we need to charge him with, if anything. He was unconscious when he was brought in, so we still need to interview him. No, I'm afraid we'll probably have to keep him until at least late tomorrow."

His formal explanation was technically all true, they were following standard procedure. However, he also realized the issue regarding their report to the Candy Palace. They had informed the guards over there of their potential find, but had not actually received any further instructions like whether or not to hold him indefinitely. To complicate matters further, now someone was trying to post the kid's bail.

Marceline was quite sick of having to deal with police bureaucracy at this point. She once more pulled the silver card out of her cloak and handed it to the guard who wore a curious expression as he took it. "I think you may find it in your best interest to release the boy into my custody."

As the guard read the card his face fell, and he glanced up in fright at the woman before him. The guard was completely at a loss of what to do. "I, uh… I'm… gonna… have to talk to my partner on this." At that he handed the card back to her and quickly went out the left door to find his partner and figure out what the hell they were supposed to do.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later the two guards came back into the room. It was not easy for them to determine whether or not to hand over the boy, but because they had not actually received explicit instructions to hold him they decided it would be best to release him, lest they instigate some major incident.

The one guard took his place back behind the desk while the other approached Marceline. "I'll, uh… take you back and retrieve your companion for you… Please follow me." Marceline nodded, content that they had decided to do things her way.

The guard led her into the back room filled with lockers. They were coming up on a lone cage situated in the corner and she was relived to recognize Finn's familiar cloak. But she was extremely puzzled when she noticed that there was not only another person in the cage, but the two appeared to be conversing, and even… laughing together?!

* * *

"… and the crate just exploded! Oh man, fish guts were flying everywhere! Tiffany got hit so hard by half a mackerel that he still gets dizzy anytime he's near the wharf." The stranger lost his composure completely, just barely getting out the last of his story before flying into a fit if uncontrollable laughter.

Finn too was cracking up over his new friend's absurd stories. In truth, he didn't believe even half of what the guy said was true, but either way it made for some great entertainment. Laughter dying down, the dog took a deep breath to recover his spent oxygen. "Ahhhh, yea. Those were some good times. Hey kid, I just thought of something. I never got your name."

Finn straightened himself in his seat, having bent over from laughing so hard. He was well past feeling reserved about sharing with the enigmatic stranger, and was about to give him his name when he was interrupted from behind.

"Finn!" Marceline squealed, Making Finn jump in his seat and immediately turn to face the room. Sure enough, there stood his mistress and a guard outside the cell. She looked baffled. Forgetting about his acquaintance for the moment, he stood up and moved to the cell walls, grabbing the bars. "M… Mistress!"

Both of them were at a loss for words. Fin was mentally pounding himself. His mistress must have been worried to near death, running herself ragged trying to locate him. In return he had all but forgotten her, losing himself in conversation with this person he just met, in a jail cell.

Marceline was too stunned by what she had seen Finn doing. Finn, her weak little cowardly slave who suffered a mental collapse if he was more than ten feet from her outside the cave, was sitting with a stranger, completely at ease, laughing with him like they were old buddies.

With neither of them making any attempt to move or talk, the guard coughed uncomfortably. He approached the cell door, taking keys out of his pouch. "Uhh, so… you're being released." He opened the door, but Finn made no motion to exit.

The stranger had been quietly watching with mild interest. His thoughts dwelt on the simple greeting Finn had used to address the woman. 'Mistress?'

Marceline was the first to regain her composure. "Finn… let's go." Finn shivered for just a moment before releasing the cage. "R…Right away, Mistress." He said timidly, exiting out the cage door which was then promptly shut and locked by the guard.

Marceline led Finn out the door into the main lobby, the guard and stranger watching as they left. Before they were completely out of the room Finn turned back and offered a small wave to the friend he had made, at least for a little while.

But when he turned he had slightly loosened his hood, and when he faced the cage it had slipped back to rest on his forward cranium, revealing his face for the first time to the stranger. The stranger felt a mild shock at his reveal, the kid was incredibly humanoid.

But too soon Finn had turned back around and left the building. The guard also left after a few more seconds, leaving the dog alone with his thoughts. 'Wow, I never would have guessed. I can't help but wonder… could he… naw. Probably not. Unlikely. Not much of a chance… well… huh.'


	25. Chapter 25

Marceline stepped out of the precinct and onto the street. It was now a very late hour, and the sky was pitch black. The street was illuminated with bright white lights. Marceline tried to catch Finn's gaze, but he was staring straight down, face concealed by his hood. He was still completely ashamed at his behavior.

He believed he had greatly upset Marceline, and was bracing himself for her reaction, but her silence was a far worse torture than had she decided to simply scream at him. After she said nothing for a long while he brought his face up to meet her gaze, brow and mouth curled nervously.

"Mistress, I…" Finn started, but Marceline's gaze shifted imperceptibly fast to the street behind him, and she cut him off, "Hang on Finn."

Following her eyes, Finn turned around to see what had her attention. Coming down the street was a masterly crafted carriage surrounded by banana guards, Finn counted six of them. The carriage was highly decorated. The framing was arched into intricate patterns, giving it an incredibly regal appearance.

The majority of it seemed to be constructed of a material similar to the buildings, a bright white type of stuff. But whereas the building material was more like stone, this stuff appeared closer to wood. Edges and patterns were colored with bright pinks and oranges that no doubt was have been dazzling in the sunlight, but appeared rather lackluster in the artificial city lights.

Two shimmering horses pulled the carriage behind them. They appeared to be made from bright blue crystal, but given the nature of their location, were probably something like rock candy.

Finn couldn't help but feel impressed at this display of wealth and magnificence coming down the street. Marceline only watched with nervous apprehension. 'There's no way this won't involve me. There's no other reason for her to be out for a stroll this late.' Marceline's fears were proven true as the procession came to a halt in front of them.

As the carriage came to a halt the six guards beside it lined up in front of the door on the precinct's side, three to each side. The one on the right took a step to grasp the coach handle and open the door.

A captivating young woman gracefully stepped out of the carriage, coming to stop just outside, facing Marceline and Finn. Finn subconsciously pulled his hood farther over his face but couldn't stop himself from appraising this young woman.

She was stunning, beautiful in the most classic sense. Her skin was a light pink tone, and looked as soft as a flower petal. Her long hair, a blazingly vibrant pink, hung down to almost her calves. It was combed meticulously so as to allow each strand to sway independently. She wore an elegant silk dress, pink to match her motif that only served to accentuate the royal air she already gave off.

It almost came as an afterthought to Finn that this woman looked like him and Marceline; very humanly, that is. Actually, her figure was extremely similar to Marceline's in terms of proportions. She even seemed to be roughly the same height.

As Finn looked in awe Marceline only stared at the woman in a passive expression. It was all she could manage to hide her annoyance at having to interact with her.

'Well, this is unexpected. Here I find both issues I've been directly alerted to in the same place. I was not expecting the two to be related topics.' The pink woman gave a smile to the two that seemed pleasant enough to Finn, but far too sweet to Marceline.

"Marceline, it has been a while hasn't it." The woman spoke in an airy voice that seemed just a bit haughty. "I must admit, after hearing about your incarceration and immediate release I had expected you to rush out of here as quickly as possible."

Marceline replied through a sneer, "Aww, and here I was thinking that you had decided to grace me with a personal visit, but I guess it's just luck that I got to see you Bonnibel." The woman's, Bonnibel's, smile strained at Marceline's remark.

"Yes… quite lucky indeed." She replied. "So do tell, if your reason for coming out this late in the evening wasn't to visit your dear old friend, then what was it?" Marceline questioned. "Actually, I received another call concerning an interesting arrest tonight. I was told the person in question was being held at this very police station, and decided I'd like to see them for myself."

At her mention of the mystery convict, her gaze shifted away from Marceline to the small form standing next to her. Finn had been watching with rapt attention, but when he had become the focus of the woman he lowered his head back down.

Bonnibel, however, was able to get a decent look at his face. She almost couldn't believe it, her guards were actually right for once. Bonnibel had spent a large amount of time studying everything she could about the humans, from physiology to history (what little remained), and had essentially become the foremost expert on the species in Ooo. She could tell even from just a glance that she had finally hit the jackpot.

"And it seems," She continued, "That the boy in question is standing here with us." Marceline was not expecting Bonnibel to want anything to do with Finn and took a step closer to him, tactfully encouraging him to hide slightly behind her.

Marceline was unable to stop a slight frown from forming, "And what exactly could you possibly want with him? Assuming he's even the one you're actually looking for." She kept her voice straight, but distrust was evident within it.

Bonnibel only continued to smile, "Oh, I'm quite sure he's the one I'm looking for. But I admit, when I came to see him I had not expected you would have any relation to him. I am curious, what exactly is that relation?"

Marceline was becoming quite anxious, as well as agitated. "He's a friend of mine. We met a few years back." Bonnibel replied in barely hidden skepticism, "Really?" She continued to look at the boy, who would periodically glance up to check on the conversation, but quickly snapped his head back down.

However, he was standing in just the right angle of light that Bonnibel caught a glint coming out from his hood, around his neck. She was immediately aware of what it was, and by extension the relationship between Marceline and this boy; her slave, apparently.

Bonnibel elaborated, "Because it looks to me your relationship is a little more… strictly defined, judging from the collar he's wearing." She gave an insolent smirk as Marceline's faced crumbled further to reveal a little more of her brewing anger.

Bonnibel continued, "Really though, I had never figured you for the type to buy a slave." Marceline was quickly losing patience, and her next words were far less restrained than they had been so far, "Frankly, I don't believe the nature of my relationships with anyone, least of all him, are any of your concern."

The monarch brushed off her comment with a slight chuckle, "Easy now, Marceline. I did not intend to offend, and I certainly wasn't judging. After all, to acquire a human slave must have cost you a bit of coin. I suppose that means the royal coffer is still quite padded then?"

Bonnibel brought a hand to rest under her chin and closed her eyes in a very contemplative pose. "A simple business transaction, nothing more than that, am I right?" Marceline gave no reply. Bonnibel simply continued, "But business transaction always leave room for further business, and it seems that's what were here to discuss tonight."

Marceline now raised an eyebrow, suspicious of the direction Bonnibel was taking the conversation. Bonnibel continued, "I won't mince words Marceline. I came here tonight with the hopes of finding a human and, if I succeeded, taking him into my custody. Since it seems my goal is already a legal possession of yours, I'll just simply have to buy him off of you. Simply name your price, I'm sure you're aware I'll be able to match it."

Marceline and Finn were stunned at the monarch's outright offer. Finn subconsciously pressed himself into Marceline's back, reaching out a hand to grasp her cloak, holding on as if he would be blown away in a storm.

Marceline had finally had it. How dare Bonnibel even suggest that she would sell her prized possession. How dare she insinuate that she was more deserving of him. Marceline's expression was now just shy of open hostility, and the guards behind Bonnibel were becoming nervous.

"He's not for sale. Period." Marceline said with finality. Bonnibel finally let her sweet façade crack, and a look of controlled rage replaced it. In any other situation she'd have screamed out her opponent. Nobody ever told her she couldn't have anything. She was ruler of the Glob Damn Candy Kingdom! But Marceline was not like everyone else. Bonnibel knew her well. She knew she would not budge if she pressed the issue, especially given their history.

Bonnibel just stood glaring at Marceline, but could not do anything else to help her situation. "Come on Finn, we're leaving." Marceline had had quite enough emotional trauma for the day, and pulled Finn with her towards the main entrance, Finn gladly following.

Bonnibel was glowering at their rapidly fading images as her mind was assaulted by anger-driven thoughts, "That bitch. How dare she tell me I can't have something. I've been looking for a human for too long. There's not a chance I'm gonna let her stand in my way when I'm this close. I will have him, one way or another.'

Indignance now dominating her manner, Bonnibel angrily clambered back into her carriage and slammed the door. She screamed out to her attendants. "Get Moving!" And with that the guards fell back into formation and the driver whipped the horses back towards the palace.

* * *

Marceline and Finn found themselves back in the canyon, headed for their familiar crag. Finn clutched his Mistress' hand in his own as she led him through the winding rock passage. The sky was cloudless, but a new moon left the night nearly pitch black. Finn however, had grown accustomed to Marceline leading him in darkness, she having to do so every time they went through the cave. Marceline, as always, had no problem seeing in the darkness.

Their walk had been silent since leaving the kingdom. Marceline was still brooding over Bonnibel's intrusive behavior and Finn was sulking because of his perceived failure to his mistress.

As they were coming to the cave, Finn managed to muster enough courage to attempt to restart the conversation he had attempted before Bonnibel's arrival. "Mistress?" His voice was very quiet, though Marceline thought this was due to fatigue. "Hmm?" Was her reply.

"I'm… I'm sorry, for… earlier." Marceline had no clue what he was referring to. "Sorry for what?" Finn was wracking his brain, trying to come up with a way to properly verse the guilt he felt. "For… not worrying. You worked so hard to find me… I could tell when you came in to the station. But I just sat around and didn't do anything to try and help myself… or you. I completely ignored you… I forgot about you until you showed up."

The two had finally entered the cavern and had their visibility was restored thanks to the fungal luminance. Marceline looked at Finn's face, which appeared totally downtrodden. Though she could have released his hand now that he could see, she only tightened her grip, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Finn…" He looked at her pleadingly, but was surprised when all she offered was a giggle. "You worry too much. It's your place to serve me, but it's my job to look after your well-being. I wasn't upset when I found you. I was just… stunned at you behavior. You're always so guarded, it was a huge surprise to see you so at ease with that guy in the cell."

Finn scratched the back of his head with his free hand and let out a nervous chuckle of his own, "Heh, yea… He was just so… weird, but funny." Finn's mind was slowly easing from the tension he had felt since leaving the station, but one question remained unanswered.

The two had just walked up the front steps and were entering the door. Marceline was wiped and ready to collapse. She imagined Finn felt the same if not worse. He, however, tried to get one last answer out of her before they passed out.

"Uh, Mistress… One last thing?" She gave him a look allowing him to ask. "Who was that woman that…tried to, uh…. buy me?" Marceline let out a long drawn out sigh. "That will take some time to explain. I'll tell you in the morning."

Finn was about to retire to his room, but Marceline placed a hand on his shoulder, compelling him to stay. "Finn… I'm the one who should be sorry tonight. Everything just went to hell so unexpectedly, I… I'm just sorry things turned out the way they did."

Finn stayed still for a moment, noticing Marceline was putting quite a bit of weight in him to support herself. He didn't think he'd ever seen her this worn. It was beyond a physical tiredness, she was perceptibly mentally fatigued.

Finn simply offered her a timid smile. "It's okay Mistress, really. Everything turned out fine, didn't it? I know… I know you'll always come for me." Marceline gave a weak smile of her own. She bent down and kissed his forehead tenderly. Finn's knees nearly buckled and his face became flushed.

Marceline let out a slight snort before turning away and heading upstairs. Finn stood standing there for a few minutes more before realizing he was very close to losing consciousness, and decided it would be best if he were at least close to his bed when it happened.


	26. Chapter 26

**I am running out of clever greetings. Anyway, I have a decent amount of writing for you, my good patrons. I spent about five hours traveling today, but I'm posting from the comfort of my actual house for the first time. Also a first, chapters 26 and 27** **feature Marceline or Finn. Shicking, I realize. Fear not, I feel I've more than compensated with 28**.** I'm begginning to accelerate the development of their relationship more, about time I start to fit the posted genre. Oh right, time-skip. Expect those more frequently at random intervals. Otherwise... no, that's it. On with the story.**

* * *

Bonnibel stood in her balcony perched high upon the walls of her palace, overlooking her city and contemplating her many projects. The sun was high in the partially cloudy air and cast light upon her lively city. Even from her elevation, she could see the throngs of her citizens moving about the city.

At times when she felt overtly frustrated, she found it helped to stand out here, let the high altitude air cleanse her body and watch her city. She thought it was good to periodically remind herself of all she worked for, all she had accomplished. Nearly everything she saw belonged to her in one way or another. Gazing out over her domain helped put things in perspective, and helped to ease her mind.

Being ruler of the wealthiest kingdom in Ooo was no easy task. Her brain was constantly crowded with issues regarding politics, economics, infrastructure, foreign relations, domestic approval and all manner of things she, as ruler, was expected to handle. Add to that the many personal side projects she always has set aside and it seems like she never gets a moment of peace.

But for the last year, all the responsibilities she'd been held accountable for have been overshadowed by a personal ordeal that's been plaguing her; that boy, Marceline's slave. Nearly fourteen months ago she had found a human boy, precisely the sort of subject she had been searching for over a decade.

But irony had a habit of interfering with Bonnibel's best intentions, and the sole person she'd been searching for was out of her reach. The best she's been able to do is monitor the boy and his mistress. Whenever the two are in the city, Bonnibel would always have one of her men tail them, recording everything they did, taking pictures, video, audio recordings, any scrap of information he could.

But it was simple politics, the general bane of her existence, that restrained her from simply taking the boy. She could make no move to steal him from Marceline without instigating an international crises. Unfortunately for Bonnibel, Marceline was herself a monarch, the Queen of the Vampires.

Unlike Bonnibel, Marceline had no interest in the actual governance of her people, and simply allowed appointed officials to run the day-to-day, only ever appearing every couple of years if there was a critically important issue to attend.

Still, just because she was not an active participant in politics did not dismiss her royal blood. She couldn't even be arrested, as all she had to do was present a special license granting diplomatic immunity and she was off the hook.

All this meant for the candy monarch was that she could not simply take the boy without consequences. Ever since their last meeting she had been trying to devise a way to acquire the human without insinuating herself or her servants as the culprit, but so far she has come up with nothing.

Knowing she'd have to attend to her royal duties sooner or later, Bonnibel turned to the open doorway leading into her room and stepped through, leaving the door open to continue to allow air to circulate.

Just as she crossed the threshold she was greeted by an unfamiliar voice. "Good evening Princess Bubblegum." Bonnibel nearly shrieked as she found a strange man in a dark cloak leaning against the hallway door, but if she did one thing well it was keep her composure in crucial situations.

Sure, she could've screamed to try to alert the guards, but she ran the risk of there being no guards within earshot and of angering this unknown character. Instead she simply kept silent and observed the stranger. He was tall, slightly taller than her. His features were completely hidden behind a black cloak, but Bonnibel could tell he was a male from his voice which, while not exactly deep, was obviously masculine.

She gave him a look of slight anger, addressing him in an unpleasant manner, but still avoiding being too hostile. "I highly doubt my guards would have allowed you access into the castle, much less my private room."

The man took his arms out of his cloak and crossed them. While the majority of his body was covered in similar black clothing, his hands were bare, showed a sickly gray hue. His face remained concealed by the hood. "You are correct in that assumption Princess. No, I came here of my own volition because I have a proposition for you, and figured it would quite difficult to meet you… officially. To that extent, I'm sure you wouldn't want this conversation on record anyway."

Bubblegum's expression did not change. "Is that so? I don't know what rumors concerning me are circling the dregs right now, but I don't typically conduct 'unofficial business." As she spoke she began pacing the room, but kept her eyes on the man.

She really had no intention on hearing him out, but needed to keep him occupied while she made her way to her nightstand, in which she kept a stun gun. She'd chat the idiot up to lower his guard and then knock him out and have her guards lock him in the royal dungeon. That should teach him a lesson about sneaking into a royal's bedroom.

The man let out a low rumble that she supposed indicated an inward chuckle. "That's only because you've always been in a position to easily acquire anything you wanted. You've only ever had to snap your fingers and be handed everything on a silver platter. But now there's something you desperately desire but cannot ever possess, no matter how big a fit you throw."

Bonnibel had made it to her dresser and leaned back against it, resting her hands on the edge to support her. The stun gun was in the top drawer, it would take little effort to quickly draw it out and incapacitate the man. However, Bonnibel was rapidly becoming more frustrated with this individual, and was prone to lengthy arguments when frustrated.

"And what makes you think you know what I desire? What concern is it of yours?" At her questions, the man took a step away from the door, keeping his arms crossed. Bonnibel's finger tensed on the nightstand, ready to put him down if he made any sudden movement.

The man gave a more audible chuckle this time, leaning his face down before composing himself. "It's simple. I've taken an interest in your desire because it directly coincides with my desire. I came here today because I can get us both what we want, with your assistance that is."

Bubblegum was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with this man around. He was insane to think he could just break in here and think he could talk his way into a partnership with her. The only thing that would be crazier would be if she continued to listen to any more of his offers.

"I'm truly uninterested." As soon as Bonnibel said that she quickly leaned away from the nightstand, nimbly opening the drawer and retrieving the stung gun without even looking. She leveled the weapon and shot at him. A bright blue bolt shot out of the short barrel and flew at the man. Almost trivially, he raised one of his fists to take the shot.

Instead of knocking him flat him his back like Bonnibel expected, his hand only surged with electricity, as though he had absorbed the shot. With the hand he had blocked, he pointed his finger like a gun and pointed it towards her. An identical bolt of energy shot out of his fingertip and hit her. Bubblegum stiffened as the electricity shot through her nervous system and her muscles seized up. She crumpled to the floor in a sitting position, back against the nightstand.

The man heaved out a sigh as he stepped closer to Bonnibel's downed form. "Really, I'm disappointed princess. I would have thought you, of all people, would recognize the appropriate times to take actions, and yet you haven't even decided to hear what I have to offer. Oh well, perhaps you'll hear me out now that you're temporarily paralyzed."

The man placed his arms behind his back, and began to pace back and forth. "As I was saying, we both want things that coincide with what the other wants. I know you desire to possess that human kid. The one owned by Marceline."

Bubblegum rolled her neck to her shoulder, eyeing the stranger as best as she could. He continued, "As for me, my interests lie with the woman. I won't tell you my reasons and I don't care to know why you desire the boy. Frankly, I could care less about what happens to him, but as long as he's the thing you want I may as well offer him to you, should you decide to help me."

The man walked over to about a foot and a half in front of Bubblegum and kneeled down so he was eye level with her. She still couldn't make out his face, but could see several long strands of grimy white hair falling out of his hood.

"Give me what I want, what I need to take Marceline, and I'll deliver you the kid." Bubblegum's tongue was feeling less swollen, and she could just barely stand to talk by now. "What… exactly… do you… want?" She asked through ragged breaths.

She couldn't see it, but was well aware of the man giving her a triumphant smile. "See now how easy it is to simply deal with people. You'll soon see how profitable it can be as well. You'll get the kid, and all I want in return is your formula."

Bubblegum was still dazed, but was now extremely suspicious of his intentions. "What… formula?" The man stood back up, towering over her. "Your formula… for creating life."

* * *

A half-hour later Bubblegum had regained muscle function, and had left her room to retrieve her notes from her lab. The stranger had opted to wait for her in her room, not wanting to risk being seen by the guards.

It would have been extremely easy to simply alert her guards to the man's presence at this point, but she had begun to think this person was too powerful for even her guards to handle. Given how he had disarmed Bubblegum when she had the drop on him, she figured it would not be difficult for him to escape if she sent the guards after him, and then she'd have to worry about him coming after her.

Beyond fear of him, she wondered if he really was capable of getting Marceline out of the way and getting the boy for her. He certainly seemed to be a skilled individual, and she certainly wasn't coming up with any better options anytime soon. Plus, if he failed there was almost no chance she could be tied to him. She had little left to lose, and decided to take him up on his deal.

After grabbing the appropriate papers from her lab, she headed back up to her room to find her new cohort waiting on the balcony. She cleared her throat to get his attention, causing him to turn around and walk back into the room.

She handed him the papers. "This is it, the formula for animation. Just so you know, many of the ingredients are not easy to come by, and I won't be supplying them." He simply gave another dark chuckle. "That won't be an issue."

Her end of the bargain fulfilled, she asked the man, "So when can I expect you to repay me?" He tucked the papers safely into his cloak and looked back at her, not that she could meet his eyes. "Things will take some time to prepare. I've much to set up. This operation could be several months in the planning. Maybe one, two years tops."

Bubblegum was almost disappointed, but she was a patient woman. She'd been waiting on this opportunity for over a decade, she could stand to wait a couple more years. "Understandable. However, given this will take so much time to prepare, I should hope you'd be willing to give at least monthly status reports. You know, just so I know you haven't decided to balk on our deal."

The man replied, "Of course. I'm happy you decided to accept my offer, I'm sure this will turn out quite… profitable for the both of us." And with that he turned and exited into the hall. Bubblegum sat on the edge of her bed, taking in everything that had just transpired and hoping it didn't turn out to be a huge mistake.


	27. Chapter 27

The waking sun cast its early morning light over the Deep Woods, stirring the wildlife from their slumber and rousing the plants to begin their photosynthetic processes. Few things could compare to the awaking of the forest in terms of serenity. As the sunlight just began to crest over the horizon the ground and low plants shimmered with morning dew. The noises of the nocturnal inhabitants had died down, and the diurnal species had yet to fully spring to life, leaving the forest in an intense quiet. The only sound came from the most elemental forces, running water and wind.

The forest seemed to radiate a sense of calmness at this hour that could lighten the blackest hearts and most burdened shoulders. The yellow dog walking along the seldom-traveled trail reflected on how these sojourns always helped to put his mind at ease. It was good to periodically escape the city and all his urban problems, especially when he had just been released from an extended stay in lockup, like now for instance. He didn't have to be a criminal out here, he was just a part of nature.

The Stranger was not, however, aimlessly wandering for the sole purpose of enjoying nature. He had a very specific destination in mind, he just preferred to take the scenic route. He made this trip every so often, sometimes a couple of months apart, sometimes abstaining whole years.

But something had definitely changed in the last year. He found himself visiting more and more frequently, at least once a month for the last fourteen months. Ever since the night in jail he spent with that… kid; he had felt very contemplative, very inward searching. He had certain… suspicions. But he was too fearful of finding out the answer to investigate them.

The tree line was breaking up ahead on the trail, and the continually rising sun was casting more light through the canopy. The Stranger finally emerged into direct sunlight. He had come to a clearing situated along a well-traveled road used often by merchants. This was a spot often used as a campsite by the merchants. It was large enough to accommodate several wagons worth of travelers. The Stranger was very familiar with this spot.

A large chunk of the opposing wood-line seemed to have been cleared at one point. Many stumps and burned trees were littered about clearing, however several young trees could be seen growing amidst the wreckage.

At the edge of cleared ground, where the section of damaged forest began, stood a very small stone, pretty unnoticeable except for the very observant or those who knew it was there. The stranger approached it.

The stone appeared like a small grave marker. It was carved from black granite. The face and sides appeared to be rather smooth, however the top was rough. It was roughly two feet wide, but only half as tall. A simple message was expertly carved into the face. "In loving memory of all those lost. May they find peace."

As the Stranger came upon the stone he sat before it, legs bent underneath him. Tears began to well in his eyes as memories surged back to the forefront of his mind.

* * *

His eyes teared and he blinked repeatedly, trying to relieve the irritation caused by the mass amount of soot in the air. He took refuge in a side-turned cart, hiding between the cart bed and a crate that had spilled out.

He had a hand up to his face to try to shield himself from the heat of the fires raging around him. All around him pained screams rang out as merchants and pilgrims were cut down and run through by the savages that had attacked their camp.

They were hulking men in dark armor, fearfully equipped and ruthless in their assault. There was no reason behind them. They looted no merchandise, everything was burned to ash. They took no prisoners, everyone was massacred. These were not men of a civilized nature, they did not act on rationality. They acted to fulfill their most primal, violent urges; more monsters than animals, and certainly not to be called men.

The younger Stranger was frozen. He didn't know what to do. What could he do against these monsters? Helpless to take any action, he could only cower and watch as he hid from the carnage.

Just then his eye caught a tiny form, a blue drop amid the wall of flame. He caught him just in time to see a massive flaming log strike the body and watch it crash into the ground. This was the only thing that could have sparked him into motion. As he watched the small thing fall to the earth he bolted from his hiding spot and screamed as loudly as his oxygen deprived lungs would allow, "Finn!"

* * *

The Stranger squeezed his eyes tight and shook his head furiously. Tears streamed down his face. He sniffled a few times before his mouth twisted up into a grin, and he let out a short chuckle. "This place always manages to get me all weepy. But I guess you guys would be the only ones to know that, ey Mom and Dad?" There was no one else near the Stranger, only the stone before him.

"I know I've been coming here a lot lately, but I don't know where else to turn to. I… I could've sworn I saw him. This guy… I saw him and he looked so much like him, but older." The Stranger clenched his right fist, ripping at the grass. "I just… don't know what to do about it. I mean, it's not like he recognized me. I can't just go up and ask him. I just…" He sighed, rubbing a paw over his head.

"I know it's him. It couldn't be anyone else. And he seems to be doing okay, I mean… at least I know he's still alive. Maybe someday…"

He trailed off then. He raised himself to one knee and placed a hand on the stone. "I guess I'd better get back to the grind. Always too much to steal, and not enough punks to handle it all. Well, you guys know how it is. I'll be back soon." He stood fully then, letting his hand slip from the marker, and turned to head back into the woods.


	28. Chapter 28

Water was just beginning to simmer in the pot sitting on the stove as Finn sat at the nearby counter, peeling apples. It was late evening, around the time when he would normally be making dinner, but he had no intention of doing so. He was simply preparing some food, applesauce to be precise, that could be easily served for the next few days.

He had not bothered to prepare a real meal because he had not seen his mistress all day. She hadn't appeared for lunch, and as far as he knew she hadn't even left her room all day. He could tell she was there, however, as he had heard her stomping about at random intervals throughout the day. He had briefly considered attempting to check on her, but when he went to her door earlier he could hear her pacing about the room, muttering to herself in a rather angry tone. Whatever was bothering her, he figured it would be best if he didn't disturb her.

So he had busied himself with basic tasks, cleaning mostly, had read, sat by the pond and even watched some television, which he seldom did. It had been an incredibly boring day, but he couldn't help but feel a little worried. It didn't seem like Marceline was in some extreme distress, but she'd never acted like this before. True, there was the occasional day when he wouldn't hear from her at all, but that usually meant she had been totally passed out in her room for one reason or another, most often due to an over imbibement of alcohol.

So Finn contented himself to keep busy while she dealt with whatever she had to. He was beginning to think that may take a while as he started to hear muffled screams coming from the floor above him. They were loud enough to make him aware, but not clear enough to understand.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't get any?!" Marceline screamed into her phone. The voice on the other line spoke in a measured, if not annoyed tone. "I'm sorry Marceline, but for reasons I'd rather not discuss I haven't been able to get to my supply."

"Well what do you expect me to do? I'm freaking out over here Pepper!" Marceline's voice was saturated with agitation, yet pertaining a subtle hint of fear, like an addict suffering withdrawal. Pepper was responding as best he could to keep her calm. "Please just calm yourself. I won't be able to get any demon blood for a while, I don't know how long. Give me just two or three days and I'll get something to tide you over for a short while. I'll keep you supplied at a fair discount until I can get my supply back."

Marceline, however, was not hearing any of it, suffering as she was from blood starvation. "Look Pep, I NEED something fast or I'm going to completely flip my lid." She was breathing heavily into the phone, which was beginning to disturb Pepper.

"Look, I'm doing the best I can. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a person of my position to obtain blood of any kind? It's not something I can afford to be caught moving. You're just going to have to grind it out for a few days." Pepper did not care to hear whatever desperate retort Marceline would throw at him, and promptly cut the call.

"Pepper? Pepper?! Aghh, DAMN." Marceline screeched and slammed the phone down on the receiver. Her strength had become uncontrollable in her frenzy and she completely annihilated the phone. "Oh for… ughhh."

Marceline was trembling. Her skin began to itch and she was constantly rubbing her forearms. She began to pace her room yet again, desperately trying to think of something she could do to alleviate her hunger.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had a source of fresh blood in her very home. Of course, her Finn. She couldn't help but think how easily his soft, thin skin would yield to her fangs, how his warm, rich blood would smoothly flow from his veins into her mouth, or how his rare human blood would completely overshadow the flavors she had grown so accustomed to.

At the thought that she had such a lovely meal awaiting her right downstairs, her mouth began to water, her teeth began to elongate and her eyes were dilating. Just as she was reaching for the door she stopped and drew her hand back, harshly grasping her own wrist. A look of horrendous realization came over her face, 'What am I thinking!? I can't feed on Finn. No matter how… easy it would be, or… how good he would taste, or… NO!'

She just needed to clear her mind a bit. Sitting by the pond always seemed to help in that respect. Even though her better judgment would have her quarantine herself in her room until Pepper delivered a sample, she nevertheless opened her door and began a trek downstairs.

* * *

Finn had just set the apples to boil and was exiting the kitchen when he saw Marceline coming down the stairs. He couldn't help but blush when he got a look at the way she was dressed. A single white tank top covered her torso, mostly, but did nothing to conceal the swell of her breasts. Below those she wore a pair of very short shorts that exposed the majority of her long and slender legs.

Her hair hung in wild curls and waves, a product of her not having tended to it all day, yet only served to give her a sort of animalistic appeal. Her face appeared no less wild. Her eyes were huge, and were a fascinating mixture of her usual purple coloration and a slight reddish tint creeping in at the edges. Finn could even swear her teeth were poking farther out of her mouth than usual.

Finn felt very embarrassed at the moment. He had long since decided he had nothing to fear from his Mistress, but as of late he had begun to feel somewhat… uneasy around her. He didn't really understand what was happening.

He had begun to notice her physical appearance far more often, being prone to stare at her whenever he thought she wouldn't notice. His heart rate would quicken and his body would heat up whenever they made physical contact.

But the worst was when she kissed him, something she had been doing increasingly often. It was never more than a harmless press of the lips against his forehead or cheek; but whenever she did this his breathing intensified and his mind went numb. He'd feel this strange pulling at his chest that he couldn't explain. It wasn't painful, it just made his heart feel… tight, and warm. Seeing her as she was now, Finn couldn't help but go stupid.

Marceline finally came down to the ground floor as Finn just stood there, looking at her. His face was red for whatever reason, immediately bringing back to her mind all the rich blood circling just beneath his dermis.

She had planned to go out to clear her mind, but didn't anticipate actually coming across Finn, who served as a very physical reminder of her growing hunger. Her fingers twitched in his direction, just barely being restrained from reaching out and grabbing Finn. She breathed in deeply through her hypersensitive nose, Finn's natural scent filling her nostrils. She could almost taste him from here.

She mustered the last amount of self-restraint she had and quickly moved past Finn towards the front door. As she brushed past him, Finn was shaken out of his daze and became far more aware of the continued strange behavior his mistress was portraying. He couldn't simply wait by any longer, he had to see if he could help at all.

Just as Marceline had grabbed the door knob Finn called out from behind her, "Mistress?" She stopped in her tracks, but didn't answer him. Finn began to cautiously approach her, "Please… I know something's been wrong today, and I just… if there's anything I can do, I'll help."

Marceline was twitching, 'Damnit Finn.' She was barely able to keep herself from tearing into Finn, yet he had to keep making his presence known. "Finn… you really shouldn't be… around me right now." Marceline gulped loudly. "I'm, not… in my right mind… I haven't had my blood and I can't get any. If you… continue to distract me… when I'm like this, I could end up hurting you."

Finn was beginning to understand. She had previously explained how she tended to get… insane, when she went without blood for too long. Finn should have just left her alone until she had settled herself. He should have realized she could easily kill him with a frenzied feeding, taking his blood until he had too little to continue his life functions. Instead, he pressed the issue in a way that would change the course of their relationship permanently.

"Mistress," Finn took an extended pause, unsure if this was a good idea. But his devotion to his mistress was far greater than any fear he could feel, and he pressed on with his suggestion. "You could always… take my blood."

That was what sent Marceline over the edge. He had just offered himself, his own blood, directly to her. There was no way she couldn't act on her drive now, but she had enough presence of mind to continue the illusion of dissuading him, or perhaps it was closer to muscle memory.

"That… is a… really… bad idea." Despite what she said, she still turned around and took a step towards Finn. "This is dangerous… I could go out of control." She grabbed Finn by the arm and he did not recoil, only continued to stare into her eyes, crimson slowly encroaching on purple. "We'll both regret this." She led Finn, who dutifully followed, back down the hall and into the lounge.

She had Finn sit on the couch facing her. "Take off your shirt." She said in a very low tone. Finn reached up to first unclasp his cloak, letting it fall on the couch behind him. He then slid his dark blue t-shirt over his head and laid it atop his cloak.

'No turning back now.' Marceline thought as she straddled Finn on the couch. Although he had been growing steadily since she first obtained him, he was still rather short, the top of his head coming about to the base of Marceline's neck.

Finn's face was glowing red. When offered himself to his mistress he certainly didn't think they'd be placed in such an awkward position. As Marceline reached out to grab at his naked torso his pulse skyrocketed. But despite his extreme embarrassment he couldn't break eye contact with Marceline.

Marceline too was appraising Finn. Despite all his growth he still appeared so delicately. She moved her right hand behind his back, drawing his body into her own. She ran her left hand through his thick hair to gently grab the back of his head. His hair was incredibly soft, perhaps as soft as her own impressive mane, and now hung just below his shoulders.

Then she saw the collar. That was it, this was her reminder that Finn belonged to her, that his life and body were forfeit, that she had the right to do with him whatever she pleased. It was only natural that he be expected to perform this task for her as well. This was her right.

She moved her hand closer towards the top of Finns head, taking hold of his flowing locks and gripping tightly, yet gently. She pulled his head to her left, forcing him to bend and exposing her entry point.

Marceline moved her face close to the swell of his shoulder and inhaled deeply. Her mouth opened in preparation, Finn could feel her salivating on him. Her canines were elongated and curved, designed to pierce deeply into prey and letting the blood flow so she could suck it up. She finally put all hesitance beside her and bit deeply into Finn, right between the shoulder and collar, just at the curve.

Finn lost his breath, and let out a silent scream for just a moment before realization set in. The initial intrusion brought an extremely sharp pain that Finn had not been prepared for. But that lasted only a second before a feeling of intense euphoria started spreading from the bite area to the rest of his body, flooding his mind with a pleasure he had never known before.

Finn did not understand the sensations coursing through his body right now, but Marceline was well aware of the processes at work. In truth, there were two ways a vampire could feed. They could over power their prey, damaging them so intensely they couldn't resist and then begin feeding. A normal vampire bite was an extremely painful affair, like having knives driven into the body that always seemed to dig in right on a nerve.

But vampires also had the ability to release a certain drug into their saliva at will when feeding. The saliva would act as a powerful opiate, completely numbing the pain and replacing it with feelings of intense physical pleasure. It was this toxin she released into Finn that sent him into his current state.

Marceline removed her teeth from his flesh, but kept her mouth sealed over the bite wounds, lapping at the blood that flowed freely from the openings. Marceline couldn't believe the flavor that washed over her pallet. His blood, human blood, was unlike anything she had for the last few centuries. She couldn't help herself and greedily fed from Finn's life.

Finn was powerless to do anything to stop Marceline, not that he could ever consider doing that. His body twitched periodically, but was held steady, pressed against Marceline's form. He couldn't speak while his mind was being assaulted by these sensations, only letting out small squeaks and other nonsensical noises he couldn't control. His head was beginning to feel very light.

As Marceline took in the blood of her slave her mind began to clear. With her hunger dying down she started to think more clearly. She finally realized that she had taken a great amount of blood from Finn, and was still drawing from him. She immediately pulled her mouth away from Finn, but kept him pressed close to her. As his wounds were exposed to open air the saliva reacted, closing them almost immediately to keep him from bleeding out.

Marceline's breathing was slowing to normal as she came down from her high. She looked at Finn's face, trying to catch his eyes, but he appeared to be totally out of it. It took a few more minutes for the feelings to leave his mind enough to realize Marceline had stopped. He rolled his eyes to catch hers, and barely lifted his head up through no small effort.

The two simply sat looking at each other, Finn's head rolling from side to side. He finally found the presence of mind to offer her a smile, and weakly uttered, "thank…" Finn's eyes then shut and he fell forward onto Marceline.

Marceline was momentarily worried she had overdone it, but a grasp of his wrist revealed he still had a pulse going, though noticeably slow. Now that she knew Finn's life was not endangered, Marceline let out a long satisfied moan.

'Wow, I never would have guessed I had such a gold mine right in front of me. That was ten times better than demon. I guess I'll have to see how long it'll last though. It's not like I'll be able to do this every week.'

Marceline was then aware of Finn's light breathing ghosting across her neck. It occurred to her just how deeply his devotion for her ran. That he was willing to put his life in serious danger, willing to let her feed from his very essence, either proved how extensively he cared about her or how severely damaged his psyche was. She decided on a mixture of both, leaning more towards the former reason.

It occurred to her she should probably take him to his bed, he had certainly earned his rest. But she realized that she had grown quite comfortable as she was, sitting in Finn's lap with him lightly snoozing against her. It was still quite early for her, but she didn't really want to spoil this moment.

'I must be out of my mind.' She didn't know what was driving her to act this way, but she was rather reluctant to remove Finn from her. Instead, she repositioned herself to make them both more comfortable, first switching around to sit beside him, then turning them both so that she was laying down with her head on the armrest. She held Finn against her, his head cushioned on her breasts, her arms wrapped tight around his torso.

She hadn't felt tired, but laying there like that began to relax her to surprising degree. She was hardly aware of her eyes drifting shut. Eventually her senses began to shut off, she lost track of Finn's light snoozing, and sweet slumber took hold of her.


	29. Chapter 29

**'Yawn'. I don't know what it is about my mental state that causes me to do most of my writing late at night, but once again I find I only have time to post when I should be sleeping. Anyway, if my math is correct it's now been thirty days since I began this story. Ironically, I've now written as many chapters. I have to say, this project has gone way, way beyond the scope of what I had originally planned. But people seemed so pleased with my writing, both style and story, that it seemed a shame to relegate this tale to a short, maybe twenty-thousand word piece. Any who, here's a few short chapters. If I've planned everything accordingly, this should hopefully be my last big 'arc' before I begin setting up for the end game. That's not to say I don't still have plenty more to offer. But now my personal notes have gone off the rail, so we'd better get on with the story.**

* * *

Marceline lay in her bed relatively early (for her) at night, lost in the thoughts that so oft grip her mind in her final waking moments and refuse to let her drift off to peaceful slumber. Her eyes focused almost intently on the black backs of her lids as she attempted to will herself into unconsciousness, but her anticipation of the following day's events and accompanying thoughts hindered her attempts.

Her senses were too keened to let her mind drift away. The hum of a fan she had set in the corner buzzed unceasingly in her ears, but the noise it provided was much preferable to the utter silence her house would otherwise display at this hour. With no activity going on in the building and the walls resistant to the little bit of noise produced in the cavern, it could become maddeningly quiet, causing the mind to start to play tricks on one.

Her skin was hypersensitive in rebellion to her attempting to shut down higher functions. She could feel every individual strand of hair sway as the air from the fan moved back and forth across her form, lightly cooling her and just barely causing goose bumps to creep out of her flesh. She felt the silk of her blankets and nightgown slither across her skin every time she twisted.

For every ounce of frustration she felt at not being able to fall asleep she felt an equal measure of excitement for the coming day. Tomorrow she and Finn would celebrate their fourth anniversary, or Finn's fifteenth "birthday", in a rather different manner than usual. Instead of performing one kind task for each other, Marceline had insisted the two go out to a grand event to celebrate.

About one month ago, Marceline had realized that their anniversary would coincide with decennial celebration. A massive festival lasting two weeks is put on every ten years by the Sky Kingdom. The event is celebrated to commemorate the end of a war between the Sky people and the Fire Kingdom.

Many decades ago the Fire Kingdom, under a tyrannical regime, was poised to launch an invasion that was have reduced the entirety of Ooo to ashes. Only the Sky Kingdom was strong enough at the time to oppose them. The Sky people quarantined the Fire Kingdom for ten long, bloody years until an internal coup toppled the Fire tyrant and made peace with the Sky Kingdom. Few ill feelings are still harbored, and to this day the Sky people welcome Fire people along with all the other races of Ooo to join them in celebration of a time when they fought for the freedom of the entire continent, and safety of all peoples.

The entire kingdom is transformed into one giant festive display providing the masses with uncountable forms of food and entertainment. Marceline had attended the last five events consecutively, and could say with confidence that it was one of the most fun things to ever happen in Ooo. She could hardly wait to share it with Finn.

She was extremely ecstatic when she explained her idea to Finn, though he had… mixed feelings about the plan. Given their past "experience", he was rather anxious in attending what would doubtless be the most crowded place in Ooo for the next two weeks. Marceline, anticipating his anxiety, had devised a plan that she figured should set his mind at ease.

When Finn had voiced his concern Marceline, having already prepared for his resistance, presented him with a pin. It was nothing very flashy, a small circle about twice as wide as her thumb but beautifully engraved with the depiction of a rabbit in tall grass.

Its' aesthetic pleasantness was not the significant thing about it. Not clear from an exterior angle, the pin contained a small microchip within the frame. After she had affixed the pin to his cloak, placed just above his heart, she presented a small handheld device. She explained to him how it was a GPS unit, and the pin contained a tracking device. In essence, as long as he wore the pin and she held the device, she would always know his whereabouts, always be able to find him.

That helped to ease his mind, but he still had his reservations. Marceline, though, would not allow him to miss this opportunity. She figured she'd just have to take him there, and once he was fully enraptured by the joys and splendors of the carnival he'd forget all his worries.

Unable to settle herself, Marceline once again cracked her eyes to glance at the clock just to confirm that it was, in fact, still nighttime. She let out a frustrated groan and turned about, grabbing one of her many pillows and bringing it close so she could bury her face in it.

* * *

Finn was just himself preparing for bed, having just finished a few chores he decided to get out of the way tonight. Marceline had explained to him the Sky Kingdom was a fair distance away, much farther than their usual destinations. Even though they would travel the majority by train, they would still need to leave very early.

Finn unclipped his cloak, with his shiny new pin attached, and carefully folded it and placed it atop his dresser. He then stripped off his shirt and socks, finding himself most comfortable when sleeping only in his shorts.

As he crawled into his own bed, curling up under the covers, he thought on his own feelings for the trip he and his mistress were slated to take tomorrow.

For the first time since their partnership began, they would actually be taking an extended vacation. The Sky Kingdom was very far away, four hours by train, and since the festivities would be ongoing for two weeks Marceline had figured they may as well stay there a few nights.

For many obvious reasons, Finn was feeling rather nervous about the whole ordeal. With all the people he had guessed would be there, he was quite worried how easily he could be separated from Marceline, although it did help him somewhat to think of the pin he had just been given.

But he almost felt more fear at the idea of being away for so long. For the last four years he'd been with Marceline, he'd never been gone from the cave for longer than 24 hours. The cave, her home, was his haven, his shelter. Here he could hide from the world he had every right to be so terrified of. To be forced to stay out in the wider world, not hidden, completely surrounded by strangers who could have been inclined to do Glob knows what to him, was almost too much for him to bare.

But his fears had been almost entirely overshadowed when he realized how excited Marceline was to go to this festival. No, that's not completely accurate. She was excited, not just to attend the event, but to enjoy it with him, to celebrate in his company. She had done this as much for his sake as hers. Ever the devoted servant, Finn couldn't stomach the thought of disappointing his mistress on something that meant so much to her, so he had beat down his personal reservations and committed to making sure his mistress was happy.

Having mentally prepared as much as he was able, he threw his head back on his pillow and let his eye close. They would have to wake rather early tomorrow to walk to the train station. Sleep found him much easier than it had his mistress.


	30. Chapter 30

Finn and Marceline were just emerging from the candy forest, arriving to a fantastic view of the Candy Kingdom aglow in mid-morning light. Walking along the trail, the two did not follow the usual route along the main road leading to the front gate. Instead, they walked along a slightly smaller side trail leading along the outskirts of the city wall. Along the eastern-most point was a fairly large building of basic candy construction. It was easily four stories tall, and although the majority was constructed outside the great moat, the top floor appeared to extend into and connect with the outer wall, likely to allow public officials and guards easy access from the city.

The building was the chief rail station of the Candy Kingdom. The building itself was largely used for administrative and commercial purposes, while several platforms extended out the side and continued to hug the moat edge. From here they would be able to board a train that would carry them directly to the Sky Kingdom.

Marceline and Finn stepped onto the first platform. Although still somewhat early, the station was densely packed with a huge crowd of people. The two each wore their standard traveling cloaks, Marceline her purple one and Finn his black, hoods concealing their features. Each also carried a duffel bag slung over their shoulders.

Marceline pulled two tickets out of her cloak and scanned them. She had planned ahead of time and pre-purchased two first class tickets on the train. Seeing the massive lines formed outside the ticket booths made her extremely thankful for her foresight. The tickets said their train would be leaving from platform 3, and was scheduled to depart in half an hour.

Nudging Finn, who stood close to her side as always, she led him through the crowds down the platforms toward their assigned station. She could see their train was docked in the platform, and employees were already checking tickets and ushering people onto the locomotive.

As Marceline and Finn came up to the front of the line she handed the two tickets to the gumdrop usher, who gave a polite smile as she tore the tickets and handed back the stubs. "You'll be in box 7 in car 2, at the very front." She directed them in a cheerful tone. Marceline gave a nod and walked onto the train, Finn trailing.

Finn had never seen the interior of a train before, and wasn't quite sure what to expect. The closest thing he had to go off of was the interior of a horse carriage, but he immediately found the two were not at all alike. The interior of the train was pleasantly vibrant. Red walls with white trimming provided a very formal but welcoming feel.

As they walked along the length of the train, Finn saw that the majority of the cars were identical in layout. A center aisle allowed people movement through the car while seats were placed to either side, each bench adequate to comfortably seat two people. The benches seemed to be wood carved and padded with red velvet. Every seat also had an accompanying window allowing a great deal of light to enter the train. Spacious racks ran the length of the car attached to the ceiling. Several suitcases and other pieces of luggage had already been stored there.

After about twelve cars, though, Finn noticed a marked difference in the layout. These front-most cars had similar decorative patterns, but the aisle ran down the length on the right side instead of down the middle. Instead of benches, a large wall ran the length of the car with several doors spaced evenly along it. It was also far less crowded than it had been in the standard cars.

They passed through the door at the end of the car in the small median attaching it to the next. Above the door in front of them was a brass "2", denoting the car number. They walked through the door and into the isle, however they stopped at the first sliding door on the wall, above which was painted a "7".

"This is our box." Said Marceline, opening the sliding door and allowing Finn to step inside. The interior was pretty much identical to the rest of the train, except two benches were placed to either side of the box facing each other. The luggage racks, instead of going along the window wall, were placed above the benches. The benches also seemed to be nicer, plusher than the standard seats. Best of all, the inhabitants were granted far more privacy than in the general seating.

Finn unslung the bag he was carrying and set it down on the bench while Marceline moved in and closed the door behind her, setting her bag down on the opposite bench. Each rifled through their respective bags and took out a book. Marceline had told Finn there would be a lot of travel time, and it may be a good idea to bring something to read.

Retrieving his book, Finn zipped up his bag and hefted it up to place it in the rack. He was just barely tall enough to slide the bag in about a third of the way, and had to jump slightly to push it to the back. Marceline couldn't stifle a laugh, having caught Finn's excessive efforts and finding them humorous. Finn chose to ignore her and took his seat, pulling back his hood and opening his book to the first page.

Marceline retrieved her own book and placed her bag in the rack as well, having a much easier time than Finn. Instead of taking the vacant bench she decided to sit next to Finn, separated only by about an arm's width.

As the two took their seats the whistle sounded loudly, signaling that the train was preparing to depart. Finn looked out the window and could see the outside slowly begin to slide to the right as the train crawled along the track.

In just a few minutes the train was nearing its full speed, and Finn continued to watch through the window as the scenery rushed by at incredible speeds. Soon enough, though, Finn began to grow bored of the view and turned his head back towards their cabin.

He glanced over and saw that Marceline had also lowered her hood and had opened her book to quietly read. With little else to do, Finn opened his own book and slowly allowed himself to be lost in the words.

* * *

Roughly an hour later Finn decided to take a break from his book. It had been an interesting tale so far; a novel about a boy who's body is possessed by a demon, and he had already made a significant dent in the relatively thick tome. He placed a bookmark in the crease before closing the book and tossing it over to the opposite bench.

Finn glanced out the window and was surprised to see it was pitch black outside. He was extremely confused for a moment, as there was no way night had fallen already. He figured they must have entered into a tunnel at some point. Looking up Finn noticed electric lighting had illuminated the train, evidently bright enough that he wouldn't notice the removal of outside luminance.

Finn felt the train take a slight turn, not sharp but noticeable. When it straightened out, however, he felt a much more abrupt shift to his left before feeling a heavy form come down on him.

It seemed Marceline had fallen asleep at some point, and the shift of the train caused her body to slump over onto Finn. For his part, Finn could do little except blush at the sudden onset of close contact between them. Marceline's head had fallen onto his shoulder, into which she subconsciously snuggled to make herself more comfortable.

Finn knew this was a completely involuntary act, yet couldn't help but relish this opportunity to enjoy his mistress' closeness. To feel her comfortable weight leaning against him, totally dependent for support, and to have her silk-soft hair rubbing against his neck and jaw filled Finn with a nervous joy he had grown quite accustomed to.

Ever since Marceline had begun to feed from him, Finn relished every opportunity he had just to bring his body close to hers. It was a somewhat different feeling than when she actually fed from him. When she did that, it was like an indescribable wave of euphoria washed over his entire body, it was intense, exhausting even. But whenever they had a chance to just sit together in close contact, not in action but simply enjoying the immediate presence of each other, Finn would feel something more like a warmth slowly creeping across his skin while a not unpleasant tightening occurred in his chest.

So Finn happily allowed his mistress to doze peacefully against him. In truth, he was desperate to reach out to her, hold her closer to himself, increase the friction between them; but he could never bring himself to initiate such an act between them. That was Marceline's right alone. All he could do was content himself with how they had been placed for the moment.

He would have very much liked to join her for a snooze, but thought that at least one of them should be awake when they arrived, lest they miss their stop. So he simply drew up his cloak tight against him, enjoying the softness of the fur interior, and simply set his mind to wander wall his mistress lay pleasantly against him.


	31. Chapter 31

**And we're back yet again to continue the story. I realize this is the first time I've only posted a single chapter, but I was not expecting it to be so lengthy. So instead of forcing you good patrons to wait around while I gather my thoughts, I figured I may as well post it now. Feel honored by my generosity, and then continue on with the story.**

* * *

Finn was on the verge of unconsciousness. The view outside his window had been a constant blackness for the last few hours. Between the intense boredom slowly consuming his mind, as well as the warm presence of his mistress curled against him slowly lulling him, his mind was ready to shutdown, regardless of Finn's preference.

A sudden bout of visual stimulation brought some life back into Finn, he turned his head a minute degree to observe the drastic change in scenery now visible through the window. Finn had been expecting the train to simply emerge from the cave somewhere before coming into the Sky Kingdom. Instead, what he witnessed was the train emerging into a massive underground complex.

The place looked like it was situated at the bottom of a mountain. The whole area was like a massive cylinder, with several levels of platforms jutting up several dozen stories. Powerful electric lights were placed in precise symmetric patterns throughout the complex, providing plenty of light to the bunker.

The bottom level was the barest. Only stone walls cut from the cavern enclosed the areas. Four tunnel mouths were situated around the wall, each leading in a cardinal direction. The train carrying Marceline and Finn emerged from the southern tunnel.

The only other thing of note on the bottom level was a large circle carved into the center of the floor, comprising over half of the total area. Train tracks were laid into the circle in a spiral pattern. The train itself followed its own tracks which curved slightly to connect with the opening tracks on the platform.

The train was steadily slowing down as it coiled its way around the tracks like a serpent hiding itself beneath a stone. Eventually, the whole thing came to a stop as the leading engine car came to the center of the spiral.

Having been somewhat thrown for a loop by seeing the train curve in on itself like this, and then coming to rest, Finn figured it would probably be best to wake Marceline; it seemed like they would be needing to depart soon.

Finn placed his left hand on Marceline's right shoulder, and shrugged himself in her direction, pushing on her to set her upright. The disturbance shook Marceline out of her slumber, and as she roused she took notice of the multiple train cars parked outside the window. It took her a moment to realize the implications; specifically that they had likely reached their destination.

Already familiar with the workings of this particular station, she was unsurprised by the sudden jolt of motion the rocked the train. Finn was less prepared, and jumped in his seat at the abrupt movement. Quickly turning to look out the window, he realized the high platforms were coming closer to them.

In actuality, the circular platform on which the train was parked acted as a massive elevator. Several steel pillars began to push out from the ground under the platform, raising it the necessary level. Each level had its own ring of tracks surrounding the innermost edge. The train on the platform would be able to move from the platform and dock around the ring. The entire station was a marvel of mechanical ingenuity.

Their train was raised to one of the middle levels, the platform just large enough to fit the central hole without grazing the edges. When the platform had stopped rising, a small section of track was extended to connect the outer tracks to the platform tracks. The train was then able to move backwards, uncoiling from the central platform and ringing around the edge platform. Eventually the train moved completely onto the edge platform, having ringed around the tracks twice. When the train was gone, the central platform was lowered back to ground level.

Marceline, feeling the train had finally come to a total stop, rose and collected her bag from the luggage rack. Finn rose too, however Marceline simply decided to grab his bag and hand it to him, to save him the embarrassment of having to leap up to retrieve it. Finn murmured in gratitude, giving a small yet sincere smile. When they were both packed and ready, Marceline led them back through the train to the end, where the exit was currently located.

Coming off the train, Marceline motioned her hand to Finn, encouraging him to grab hold. The station was heavily crowded, and the two could become separated easily; not that Finn needed much encouragement to accept any physical contact with her, and he readily took hold.

Now standing in the platform, Finn got a better look at how the station was laid out. The whole of the metal platform jutting from the cave wall, which appeared to be riveted steel, was totally cleared, devoted solely for providing a walkway for the pedestrians. However, carved into the walls were various stalls and stores, ranging in everything from station information to snack stands.

The vast masses of people featured members of almost every conceivable species in Ooo, with no discernable major representative. However, Finn noted that almost all the employees around the area seemed to be the same species, one he didn't recognize. He could only guess that these people were the native denizens of the Sky Kingdom.

They were highly humanoid in appearance, but certainly not to the extent of Marceline. Their skin was all a deep tinted blue, ranging from rather light to fairly dark. Their hair was all universally white as well, but not in the way that a normal person's would age, but was rather as brilliant and lustrous as even Finn or Marceline's own hair.

But by far their most notable characteristic were the massive wings extending from their backs. Though most of the people kept their wings folded, a few occasionally extended them briefly before retracting them, revealing wingspans ranging roughly from four to six feet, he'd guessed. It seemed proportional to the specific person's height. They were gracefully covered in brilliant white plumage.

As Finn was taking in all his surroundings, he had not actually been paying attention to where Marceline had been leading them. He only became aware of his more immediate surrounding when she led them through an opening in the wall into a small enclosed room, where a few other people were standing. Surprisingly then, two metal doors converged and closed, sealing them into the small crevice. Finn stumbled just barely as he felt gravity shifting beneath him as the room was elevated.

* * *

Once the elevator had reached the top level, the two emerged into a new cylindrical structure that, judging from the windows letting in a large amount of light, was above ground. Aside from the change in architecture, since they were now in an actual building instead of a cavern, the general layout was very similar to any normal train station.

Taking their exit of the building, Finn did his best to try to get a good layout of the city, but was rather surprised with what he found. He had expected sprawling city streets on par with the Candy Kingdom. Instead, the whole area seemed rather… natural? Barren? Finn couldn't really describe in a word what the surrounding were like.

There were no brick or concrete streets. Packed dirt denoted where the most heavily trafficked areas were, but a great amount of the ground was grassy area. There were several fairly tall building spread at random intervals all around them, but lacked the denseness or uniformity of the other larger towns and cities he had seen. This place was definitely an oddity.

Marceline, never having released her grip on his hand, began leading him toward one of the closer buildings, which also happened to be the tallest he could see. "That's our hotel. We should check in now and drop our luggage. Most of the festivities won't start in earnest til tomorrow, but we can at least check out some of the area."

The two entered the lobby of the apparent hotel; an extremely luxuriant, doubtless very expensive establishment that just seemed to exhume an air of regality. The sky man behind the counter, a dapper looking fellow wearing a formal suit and thick handlebar mustache, eyed them with distaste. The look of the two travelers did not at all reflect the background of the royalty amongst them.

Not at all attempting to conceal his undeserved sense of superiority, he addressed the two as they approached the counter. "Ugh… I'm soooo sorry, but we are currently booked to capacity for the next several weeks. Anyway, not like you could even afford to stay in our accommodations anyway."

Finn cast a curious glance at the man, tilting his head to the side. Marceline simply raised an eyebrow, but otherwise remained passive. She cleared her throat before beginning, "Riiight, we, uh, actually do have a reservation… under Marceline Abadeer."

The clerk rolled his eyes, not really believing her to be genuine. Nevertheless, he turned to a computer in the desk and typed several characters into it. Shockingly, her name did appear on the reservation list. What's more, she had reserved the top floor penthouse.

His face betrayed his surprise as he read over the computer, but he soon regained his previous composure, failing to lose the attitude. "Yes, well… I suppose everything does check out then." He then turned and disappeared through a door to a back room briefly before reemerging. He came back to the desk and placed a small gold key with a green tag that had a black capital 'P' printed on it.

"This is the key to your room, on the top floor as requested. It doesn't have a number, but I'm sure even you should be able to reason out that it's the only one marked with a big 'P'." Despite the fact that Marceline clearly had the coin to afford their most expensive services, he refused to relent on his primary assumptions about them. Evidently he wasn't well versed with the current monarchs; maybe then he would've shown a little respect.

However, Marceline really didn't feel like dealing with such a minor annoyance, instead snatching the key and heading off to the side hall where the elevator was located. She called the elevator down, and when it had finally reached the 1st floor she and Finn stepped inside. She looked for the highest floor on the pad, floor fifteen, and selected it. The duo simply stood in silence for the couple minutes it took to ascend, save for the quintessential yet undeniably soothing elevator music.

* * *

On the top floor, the two had to walk to the end of the hall, where a sole door resided. Like all the others, a green plate was placed on the wall adjacent to the door with its identifying number, or letter in this case. Taking the key, Marceline unlocked the door, taking the first step inside. She was immediately impressed.

Finn too looked over their abode for the next couple days, and was equally pleased with what he found. The room was fairly large compared to most other hotel rooms. The hall door led into a big sitting room. It had a large black leather couch placed in the center, facing the wall which held a huge plasma screen T.V. The room was pleasingly decorated with various vases and potted plants, all of which went well with the white walls and black and white checkerboard carpeting. It was even equipped with a full bar in the corner.

The entire back wall was glass with a sliding door leading out onto a balcony. To the right most side was the master bath, and impressively sized restroom that came with a full spa bath. The only other door was on the left side, and led to the bedroom. The bedroom seemed to have the negative color feature of the main room, black walls, but still retaining the checkerboard carpet.

A sole king sized bad was placed in the center of the back wall, facing its own smaller television. Two nightstands were placed on either side of the bad, on which were placed a lamp and digital alarm clock. The bedroom wall was also glass, and had its own door leading out onto the balcony.

Marceline quickly threw her bag on the bed and opened it to rifle around. She came out into the main room carrying a towel and additional set of clothing. Finn had just set his own bag on the couch when Marceline caught him. "Relax for a while. I wanna grab a shower, then we can check out some of the city." With that, Marceline disappeared into the bathroom.

Finn, having grown very curious about the city from what he saw outside, realized he'd be able to get a much clearer view from all the way up here, and headed towards the balcony. From his vantage point, Finn had a perfect view of the city. Actually, city wasn't really a perfect describing word; at least, the area didn't really fit the classical definition of a city exactly.

Finn had felt like he had some difficulty breathing since stepping out of the train station, and now he could see why. The station, their hotel, and all the local buildings were situated on the top of a gargantuan mesa. He could see his previous estimate of the area was about right. There were no concrete streets, everything was built directly onto the mesa floor. The buildings, which would've looked appropriate in any normal city, were scattered around with no discernible pattern. But what astounded him the most was what lay beyond the mesa.

The mesa they were on accounted for only a portion of the total area of the Sky Kingdom. Finn could see a massive bridge connecting their Mesa to another, even larger one. That particular mesa seemed to be the central area, containing a much more traditional city grid that seemed to encompass the entirety of the mesa. Finn counted several more mesas connecting to the central city, all seemingly designed to fill their own niche such as an industrial zone or suburban area.

The area did not have the sheer splendor of the Candy Kingdom, but one could make the argument that it was still far more magnificent. The kingdom built in the sky, it truly was a sight to behold. Finn continued to simply stand on the balcony and observe the kingdom until he heard Marceline exit the bathroom.

Finn went back into the room to meet with his mistress. She stood in tight fitting jeans and a loose, white tank top, raking her fingers through her still damp hair. Noticing Finn coming in from the balcony, she offered him a knowing smile. "It's quite the place, isn't it?" Finn nodded in agreement.

Marceline grabbed her purple cloak and draped it around her, signaling Finn to follow her towards the door. "Come on, we can check out some of the city, but I really want to be back before dark. They always put on a huge firework display on the opening and closing nights, and we've got the best seat in the house right here."

Happily bounding after her, Fin caught up to his mistress, and the two headed off for the city proper.

* * *

The two returned much later, after the sun had fallen behind the surrounding mountains. The city had been generally what Finn was expecting; tall building and a lot of people milling about. There were many open areas and parks that would obviously play home to the hundreds of games and kiosks of the festival, but the vast majority of them were in the process of being set up. So Marceline and Finn had simply meandered about the city, Marceline drudging up old memories and Finn preparing a mental layout of the area.

When the two finally returned to the room, they found it had been chilled slightly by Finn having left the balcony open. But the hotel had been heated to a somewhat uncomfortable level, and the slight cold was a welcome sensation to the two. The room was mostly dark, but was still quite visible thanks to the illumination given off by the distant buildings. Marceline found the light level comfortable enough to not warrant flicking on the room lights.

No sooner had she kicked off her shoes and thrown her coat onto the couch than she heard a distant crack in the sky. She knew immediately what that signaled, and a grin broke out across her face.

Finn did not have any time to decompress before Marceline hastily grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the balcony. "Come on out, the show is starting!" she said excitedly. The two came out into the breezy night air. Two lounge chairs were placed to the side, sitting next to each other. Marceline took a seat in the far chair, patting the one beside her in invitation for Finn to sit, which he accepted.

Finn had no prior experience with fireworks, and was not sure what exactly they were waiting to see. He was about to vocalize his question when another crack and flash of light drew his attention to the sky.

He caught the last bit of some sort of sparkling material as it faded away in the blackness of the night, but now he was focused on the sky. He caught the full view of the next explosion, a dazzling array of colors and lights. His eyes went wide in awe as the fireworks came more and more rapidly, in greater numbers.

The view was astonishing, Finn had never witnessed any force at all like this. For once, though, Marceline herself was equally as captivated by the show as her repressed servant. Even though she'd been familiar with fireworks for centuries, she found they were one of the few things she never ceased to enjoy.

The two gazed on in silent wonder as the lights flashed in the sky and the thunder boomed as the sound barrier was broken. They had the best view of the most immediate show, but lights could be seen flashing all over the kingdom as each individual mesa put on its own show.

The show ended with a massive barrage of fireworks that nearly turned night into day, whose thunder echoed across the mountains before the lights finally died from the sky, and the sound slowly shriveled away until all was quiet.

Marceline let out a contented sigh, always pleased whenever she got to enjoy such a display. She glanced over to Finn, and smirked at his expression. He sat in his chair leaning forward, arms supported on his thighs, his eyes were wide in amazement.

Bemused, she extended her hand and snapped her fingers right in his face, causing him to recoil slightly as she let out a light chuckle. "So, glad we came yet?" Marceline questioned. "Y… yeah." He uttered softly.

Marceline continued, "Well, I'm just about beat. I'm heading off to bed." Finn nodded in confirmation, "I guess I will too." The two went back inside, closing the door this time. Marceline made for the bedroom, but stopped to turn around when she realized Finn was clearing off the couch, setting up the pillows and placing down his cloak as though he intended to sleep there.

"You weren't really planning on spending the night there, were you?" She questioned. Finn looked up in confusion, of course he was, where else would he have slept. "Well… yea. There's only the one bed so…" He trailed off, knowing Marceline would be able to conclude his reasoning on her own.

She, however, had expected a different arrangement. "Don't be silly, there aren't even any spare blankets around here. We can just share the bed." Marceline really did not mind sharing her sleeping arrangements with Finn. In fact, she couldn't understand why but a small part of her almost seemed to like the concept, so much that it seemed to be actively pushing it.

Even though it was dark in the room, Finn's blush was clear. Although the thought was almost overwhelmingly appealing, Finn couldn't help but feel it was highly inappropriate. They had only ever shared a bed once before; and that was many years ago under… extreme circumstances.

He attempted to reason against his own wishes, "Really, Mistress, I'm fine out here. I… don't want to burden you." Marceline responded, "Finn… remember what this trip is for. This is the time when we're supposed to do something nice for each other. Now are you going to accept my offer, or am I going to have to make it a direct order?"

Back to the wall, Finn had little choice but to comply with her wishes now, and he slowly made his way toward the bedroom. Seeing that he had relented, Marceline let slip a small victorious smirk before turning around and going into the room, walking around to the far side of the bed.

Simply by reflex, Finn removed his socks and shirt, crawling into the bed clad only in his shorts and collar. He attempted to stay somewhat close to the edge in order to give his mistress as wide a berth as possible, facing the outside.

Finn could hear her sliding off her clothing, which only caused him greater anxiety. Marceline, feeling totally comfortable around her slave, had slid off her pants and socks to make herself more comfortable. Clad just in her tank top and panties, she slid herself under the covers, facing Finn, yet still maintain a respectable distance.

Finn wanted desperately to turn around and cuddle himself close to Marceline, conjoin their body heat and fall asleep pressed close together, but knew it was not his place to do so. Marceline herself had this unexplainable urge to bring herself closer to Finn. Maybe it was simply too tempting having a source of comfortable heat so close at hand, maybe something further in her subconscious she was unaware of.

Regardless of reason, Marceline found herself sliding closer to Finn's form, bringing her face just behind his lengthy hair. She slowly wrapped her arms around his torso drawing him back and into her. He legs curled up to better fit with his own buckled legs. Sleeping against Finn was far more comfortable than she had imagined. Her mind was hazy with mixed feeling about her current situation, and growing hazier as sleep was slowly consuming her. Eventually she fell into unconsciousness, holding Finn tighter as she slept.

Finn, though, felt his heart begin to pound wildly as Marceline pressed herself into his back and wrapped her arms around him. 'I don't believe this. She's actually holding me. Is she even awake? Does she know what she's doing?' Finn couldn't help the thoughts racing through his mind, wondering whether or not this was a conscious decision on her part.

Regardless, Finn felt his body relax into hers even as his mind was speeding off course. He couldn't deny that she, knowingly or not, was fulfilling his deepest desire to simply be close to her. His mind finally began to slow as he simply accepted the situation, 'Well… as long as we're like this… I may as well enjoy it.'

So Finn brought his own hands up to his stomach and placed them over Marceline's, relishing every inch of skin that came into contact with hers. With her ever so slightly cool body softly entwined with his own, feeling her steady breathing drift across his neck, Finn allowed his mind to drift off, and fell asleep in the arms of the person he cared most for in the whole world.


	32. Chapter 32

**And we are finally back from my brief pause. I do apologize for the relatively longer wait time, the reason for which being that my usual writing slot (i.e., after 11:00 P.M.) has been filled this week. Human's vs. Zombies has gone on this week on my campus, and for those of you in college I would highly recommend looking into it. It's tremendous fun and you meet some great people. But regardless, I said I would attempt to update at least once a week, and I'd really like to honor that quota. Well, that's all I have to say about my personal life, which I'm sure must kill you to hear about, so on with the story.**

* * *

Marceline and Finn wandered the city streets, side by side, passing innumerable vendors, games of chance and other standard festival fare. They had arrived late in the morning, and it was slowly approaching early evening. Both were in very high spirits, having spent the day enjoying carnival rides and eating atrociously unhealthy yet highly addictive fair food.

Each wore a grin on their face for their own reasons. Finn was happy to finally be able to get out and enjoy more of the world without extreme cause for worry or panic. He had grown to be quite content, happy even in his average everyday life, but events were few and far between where he could recall just simply being able to have… fun.

He rarely had the chance to experience the endorphin rush that bought upon such a different kind of excitement in his blood. The energy that rushed through him when he was being hurled about by a giant mechanized spinner or that came when he hit the bulls eye with a dart at a game stand and flashing lights and sirens trumpeted his victory was not something he was accustomed too; but he certainly did not fail to relish in it.

Marceline, meanwhile, felt more comforted by the familiarity of the event. In the many years of her life that have passed she has experienced countless joys and sorrows, but all the memories of her times spent here were among her most cherished. She could only ever recall good experiences spent alone and with old friends, and it was pleasing to be able to continue to that trend.

The bonus, of course, was having Finn along for the ride this time. The strange thing, though, was she couldn't understand why his simple presence just seemed to lift her mood even higher. Sure, she supposed it was mildly amusing getting to see Finn's shock whenever he experienced a thrill ride for the first time, but he certainly wasn't the liveliest company she'd had here.

There just seemed to be some incomprehensible reason why having him by her side made her feel so elated. Knowing that he was here and was unquestionably bound to her caused some creeping sensation she couldn't quite pinpoint.

While she was attempting to contemplate the strange sensations that seemed to evade her finer examination, a sky man with thinned hair and graying plumage spotted the two walking down the street from the building wall he was leaning up against.

He had been told to look for two figures traveling in cloaks, and they certainly fit the bill. He had also been given a photo to match the target, which he pulled out of his pocket to examine. The photo was of a lovely looking young woman leaning back against an oak tree. She had a very slim figure and long black hair.

Moving the photo away from his face, the figure squinted to try to see if one of the approaching figures fit the picture. It was rather difficult when they both had their hoods up, but he was fairly certain that the taller of the two was his mark.

He put away his photo, wiped his face with his hand, and slumped off of the wall to begin walking towards the two. Approaching them, he did his best to not make it evident he was keeping a watch on them.

When finally he was within a few feet he changed his course slightly to make it appear as though he was dodging another oncoming pedestrian, causing him to bump into the woman. His hand moved imperceptibly fast towards her and was retracted just as quickly. He muttered a brusque apology without stopping, and continued on his path down the street, having accomplished what he was assigned to do.

Marceline was slightly startled and gave an annoyed look over her shoulder at the man who had brushed into her, but brushed it off as simple city "etiquette", and continued walking. Before she could get too far a thought crossed her mind, and she reached her hand into her cloak pocket.

She was livid to discover that her pocketbook was no longer in her possession, meaning neither was most of her coin or her diplomat identification with her as well. She gave a dissatisfied growl and stopped abruptly, turning around to try to see after the man who had evidently picked her pocket during their contact. She could still slightly make out the barely noticeable off-color of his wings walking briskly down the street before turning into a side alley.

Finn also came to a halt when he noticed his mistress stop suddenly, taking a few steps back to try to catch her face. He had heard her growl, but didn't know what had just transpired that was making her so angry.

Marceline had to make a quick decision in her mind. That was a lot of money she just lost, but more importantly that card was incredibly valuable, and she'd have hell to pay if she lost it to some common hoodlum.

She could easily track him down, but she doubted Finn would be able to keep up. She ultimately decided it was likely safer for him to stay in the more heavily populous area, after all she had no clue if there would be more thugs to deal with on the side streets. Not to mention it'd be much easier to find him herself, especially seeing as how she had the tracker on him now.

Turning to Finn, she explained the situation as quickly as possible. "Finn that guy just swiped my pocket book. I've got to get it back, but I want you to wait around here." Although Finn had grown far less anxious than he had been in previous years, he was still loathe to be separated from Marceline in a large city, and attempted to voice his concern. "But…"

Marceline cut him off quickly, though, placing a hand on his shoulders and staring into his eyes. "Trust me Finn, you'll be fine. This is a safe city, just find someplace with a lot of people around and wait there, I will come find you. Okay?" Nervous though he was, he could hear the urgency in her voice, and gave her a small nod. At his confirmation, she turned back and bolted off in the direction the man had gone.

Suddenly, Finn was once more alone in a strange city. But with a deep breath, he collected his thoughts and rationalized to himself that he was still safe in this predicament, 'Okay, Marceline's gone off, but that's okay. She'll finish quickly and easily find you. There's plenty of people around, plenty of guards, no fights, no one wants to hurt you. Just stay calm and find a place to wait.'

Mind kept in balance, Finn looked back around his surroundings, noticing there were still many people walking past him in close proximity. He decided it wasn't too wise to wait around in the middle of the sidewalk, and turned back around to join blend into the flow of movement, opting to find some sort of sitting area where he could await Marceline's return.


	33. Chapter 33

One of the best things about this festival was the fact that almost anyone could just blend in with the crowd and enjoy themselves. With so many strangers in the city, it was no difficult task for even a person of ill repute to mill about as any other average person and celebrate.

The yellow dog reflected on this fact, and all his recent good fortune as he made his way around the other carnival attendees. 'Man, this place is sweet! I can't believe I've never been before. I almost forgot what it feels like to walk by a guard without him eyeballing me.'

The dog laughed internally to himself as he passed through a very large food court. 'Plus,' he thought as he swiped a hotdog off of a table as its owner was turned away, 'There's plenty of distracted tourists to swipe from.' Nonchalantly walking off with his prize, he gave an outward chuckle and took a bite.

Continuing his stroll, the dog grabbed a cup of pop in the same method, slurping at the straw as he contemplated what to do next. 'Well, I got a couple coins off these guys, I could probably hit a few rides before it gets too late. Or maybe I should try to find some better marks, grab enough cash to upgrade to a nicer hotel. Pretty sure that rat hole gave me fleas. Or I could… hey, wait.'

The dog slowed his pace as he caught something interesting across the court. It was a small person, larger than himself but clearly small compared to the majority of people around. He wore a black cloak with his hood up, but beyond that the Stranger could make out a pale white face with a few blond tresses hanging down.

It took only a glance to recognize that face, burned into the Strangers memory as it was. 'Finn.' He couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness, as well as anxiety, flood through him at his observation. He wanted so much to just run over and embrace him, but he realized that may not be the best course of action for several reasons.

For one, as far as he knew, Finn didn't recognize him, and it would be pretty awkward to just run up and squeeze a guy you met once. Then there was the question of the women he had last seen Finn with. "Mistress" he had called her. If indeed Finn was currently living under someone's thumb, whether or not if they treated him well, it would still be difficult to insinuate himself in Finn's life as… what the Stanger suspected he was.

But no such caretaker seemed to be present at the moment; Finn was just sitting at a table, hands folded on the edge and head slightly bowed but high enough that he could scan the crowd. 'So maybe I can't tell him everything I'd want to, that doesn't mean he wouldn't recognize me from the jail. As long as I can just talk to him,' The Stranger figured, steadying himself to approach the boy.

Making his way from the side, Finn had no idea he was approaching. With his head turned away, the Stranger was able to pull out a chair and seat himself before Finn was even aware of his presence.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite little jail bird." The Stranger spoke out of the blue. Finn jumped in fright, caught totally off guard by the strange voice that appeared from right behind him. He turned around in his seat almost expecting some menacing thug to fill his vision, but was equally surprised to find a small yellow dog person facing him with a stupidly warm grin.

It took a moment for Finn's mind to register the familiar face, but he finally pegged him as the most delightful stranger who had eased his troubles the night he was locked up in a candy jail cell. As the memories resurfaced, Finn couldn't help but give a smile of his own. "You! You're the guy who I got locked up with. Um… sorry, I don't remember your name."

His expression didn't show it, but the dog's heart dropped just a little at the realization that Finn still hadn't recalled anything about him. 'But at least he still recognizes me from jail, guess I'll just have to roll with that.'

He feigned a laughably fake hurt look, "Aww, you're breakin my heart kid. And here I thought we shared something special back there." But his façade soon crumbled, and he burst into laughter, as did Finn.

Composing himself, Finn again addressed his old companion, "Actually, I'm glad we got to meet again. I really wanted to thank you for… last time. That would have been a lot worse if you weren't there, so… thank you Mr…" Finn trailed off, still unsure how exactly he should address him.

But the Stranger simply picked up the conversation, "Jake, kid. You can just call me Jake. And don't sweat it. If you weren't there I'd of had nobody but those B guards to keep me company, and they don't find me nearly half as funny as you do."

Finn was only able to pay half-attention to Jake's reciprocated gratitude, as there was something in his mind, extremely subtle but there, that seemed to click at the mention of his name. It almost felt like… déjà vu, he supposed. He couldn't think of anything closer to compare it to. Before he had too long to dwell, however, Jake continued, bringing Finn back to attention.

"So tell me kid, what are you doing around these parts? Cause let me tell ya, if you're looking for another scrap the people round here are way less likely to riot than those candy dudes." Finn snorted at his suggestion before offering his rebuttal.

"No, I think I've had enough fighting for… ever. I'm actually here with my… uh, friend." Finn didn't feel entirely comfortable lying, but it came to mind that in the few occasions when he had had to be introduced by Marceline, it was never mentioned that he was, in fact, her slave. He decided she must have good reason for hiding his position, and he himself should maintain the illusion.

Jake, though, was not fooled by Finn's claim. Not only would it be unusual for a woman as old as his 'handler' to be considered only his friend, but Jake could also clearly remember Finn referring to her as "Mistress" when they met in the police station. He had had his suspicions before, and they were only strengthened now that he was face to face with Finn, and could clearly see the metal object fit securely about his neck. He had to suppress a scowl.

Finn continued his explanation. "We were here together, but she had something stolen and went looking for it. I was just waiting around for her to find it and come back." 'At least I told him half the truth.' Finn thought.

Jake wanted to press the issue of their relationship, but figured it best to play it cool for now. He produced a truly shit-eating grin in preparation for his response, "Heh, guy must have been pretty green if he got caught so easily. If it had been a real expert, she wouldn't have noticed til she actually tried to find… whatever got taken."

"And I suppose you would have done any better?" Finn challenged. Jake pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, "Hey now, who exactly do you think you're talking to?" Now was Finn's turn to act smug. "Well last time we met, you were in a jail cell. I thought expert thieves were never supposed to get caught."

Jake was getting an idea, and gave a mildly dark smile. "Is that so? Well I guess I could just show you my chops and prove you wrong." Finn was not actually expecting a response like that, and his next words sounded mildly nervous. "That's, uh, okay. I don't think that'd be a really good idea."

But Jake was now dead set on this. If he could never get Finn to recall his past, then he could at least build new memories; and he figured the best way to do so would be to show him the ropes of his little "business".

So standing up, Jake took a step over to Finn, and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Nonsense! Come on, I'll show just what an expert is really capable of. Trust me, we'll be fine. Hell, I might even end up teaching you a thing or two."

Jake was able to pull Finn up to stand, and though he was trying to object he couldn't deny that it did sound very appealing to follow Jake on his escapades, despite their evident illegal nature. Nevertheless, he knew he was ordered to stay and await Marceline.

"Really, I mean… it could be fun… But I have to stay here and wait for my M… uh, friend. It'd be really bad if I lost her." Finn tried to rationalize, but Jake refused to relent. "Oh, come on. Look, I promise this'll be over real quick and then I'll even help you find her. Deal?"

"Well…" Finn was truly conflicted. He really wanted to spend more time with Jake, though he couldn't exactly explain why, but was highly reluctant to leave his spot. On the other hand, it could be helpful to have Jake help find her. Finally Finn made his decision. "Okay, but you have to promise to help me find her afterwards."

Jake gave a wide smile, "Alright, now we're talkin! Trust me, with a real expert at the helm we'll have a nice haul in a manner of minutes. Then we'll find this friend of yours." Jake was extremely grateful that he had convinced Finn to follow him. Maybe he couldn't get him back right away, but he could at least start to carve out a presence in his life.


	34. Chapter 34

**Back yet again. I'm trying to move this story along as quickly as possible, but as of late my mind has been feeling rather tapped. Oh well, I've a couple of lengthy chapters here for your amusement. I have been trying to move the story to a faster pace, and have finally started to relate more story to the actual describing genre. Not much else to say. On with the story.**

* * *

Weaving through the crowd of people, Marceline fought to reach the thief before she completely lost the trail. She reached the alley she had seen the man disappear into, but he was nowhere in sight. With little other choice she began sprinting down the alley, checking every corner and branching path for any sign of the man. He should not have been able to get too far ahead of her.

A building blocked the end of the alley from the next street, but the path did split left and right. She double-checked both directions but did not catch the man's figure. However, a small object lying on the ground of the left pathway caught her eye and she moved towards it.

Coming closer, she observed that it was a dull gray-white feather, the same color as the wings of the thief. Reasoning that he must have gone this way she sprinted down towards the street. She emerged from the alley back onto the main streets only to be reabsorbed into the mass of people.

She couldn't immediately find the man, but was not about to give up so easily. She walked a short way down the street, coming to stop in front of a bank. The bank had been elevated a good half-story off the ground, and had sizeable stone steps leading up to it.

She climbed the stairs to the top and turned about. Now elevated above the crowd, she'd hopefully be able to catch sight of her target. To any normal person the chase would have been lost at this point, but Marceline's sharpened senses rarely ever allowed for a lost hunt.

With her heightened vision, she was just able to make out the vaguely familiar form walking down the street perpendicular to the one she was on. With his position locked in her mind, she flew down the steps and made for the last spot he was in.

Luckily for Marceline, the thief was so-far unaware that she had even realized she'd been robbed, much less was tailing him, so he only kept his brisk pace instead of hurriedly attempting to escape.

She was closing in on him faster now. She had him in her sight once more. The man took one last turn taking him into yet another alley, but this time Marceline was a mere dozen feet behind him.

The alley led straight back before ending. The thief gradually began to pick up his pace to a light jog. Marceline was easily able to keep up with him now, the sound of his feet hitting the ground masking Marceline's already diminished noises.

The thief came to the end of the alley and turned right into a large courtyard set amidst several buildings. The courtyard was almost always empty, and the thief often came here after a job to take stock of his loot.

Marceline poked her head around the corner of the wall, seeing the thief slow down in the courtyard. The place was entirely enclosed, save for the alley they came in from, meaning he was effectively trapped. He came to a stop and let out a breath, keeping his back to the entrance.

Fearing little from the lone thief, Marceline confidently strode into the court to confront him. "Hey!" she shouted at him, a hint of malice amidst evident annoyance present in her voice. The startled man immediately turned around, faced with the woman he had stolen from not half an hour ago.

"What the hell?" He said, mostly to himself but loud enough that Marceline could hear. Now having his attention, Marceline gave the man a simple demand, "Just because I'm in a hurry right now, I'm gonna give you one chance to give me back what you took before I bust your face in!"

The man was quite surprised. Rarely was he ever caught in the act, and certainly almost never by the actual person he'd stolen from. That's not to say he was particularly worried. He wasn't the sort who went out of his way to cause pain to people (other than in a financial sense), but he could certainly scrap when the need arose; and he certainly wasn't feeling very threatened by this young woman.

Choosing to ignore the woman's threat, he instead pulled a steel dagger from his belt and brandished it towards her. Through a skeptical expression, he called back to the woman, "I'm not the sort of person you wanna be jokin around with girlie. Why don't you just walk away, there's worse things you could lose than your purse."

Not desiring to waste any more time with the thug, Marceline simply cracked her knuckles. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Finn and Jake found themselves in an alcove of sorts a short distance away from where they had met. In reality, it was just an indentation between buildings where, as with the rest of the city, several game stands and stages had been set up. A small crowd had gathered around the one occupied stage containing a stand-up comedian who was getting a pretty good response from the audience.

The crowd was fairly dense close to the stage, but thinned out the farther back it went. Jake led Finn to the periphery of the crowd. He understood that there should be certain moral quandaries regarding teaching his young companion such a dark trade, but he was simply too happy to be passing on his knowledge to Finn to care.

Facing Finn, Jake began, "Alright, the first key to picking pockets is to be quick. The faster you move, the less time someone has to notice you. You wanna mark your target before you make a move. Are you gonna go for a purse or try to get in a pocket or something else. The best thieves are able to walk right up to someone and snatch something without even breaking stride, but more importantly without alerting the target."

To make his next point, Jake turned Finn to look at the crowd. "Next, you have to know how to pick your victim, and for that you gotta be able to read people at a glance. As a rule, the richer the person the better a target they make for two reasons. One, you're gonna end up with more cash anyway, and two, it's just not kosher to steal from someone with a lot less than you. You following so far?"

Jake glanced back at Finn to gauge his reaction. Finn simply looked back with a blank expression. Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay… well, these kind of things can't really be taught in books anyway. A demonstration would probably be better."

Jake turned away to scan the crowd. He settled on a very tall, very thin humanoid with elongated limbs and red skin. His outfit included a nice looking fur-trimmed jacket and… fanny pack? 'Seriously… nerd.' Jake thought. Still, he made for an excellent target.

Jake tapped Finn and pointed towards the man. "Okay see the tall guy? He looks pretty well-to-do, right? Plus, he's got a pack on him. It's always easier to steal from a pack or bag than to get any closer to someone. Now just sit back and watch the master."

Leaving Finn, Jake casually made his way toward the tall man. Coming up just behind him, his nimble fingers quickly undid the zipper on the man's pack. Deftly reaching in, his fingers curled around a solid square object. He removed his hand from the pack and quickly zipped it up. He made his exit the opposite path of his entrance, moving behind the crowd and circling around to return to Finn.

Jake held out his hand victoriously, revealing an ornate silver lighter that looked like it could fetch a decent sum from the right buyer. "Okay, so like I said, you gotta be quick. Also, you're gonna need a light touch. That's… really only something you get with practice. Notice that the guy didn't even realize what happened. Neither did the crowd, and that's another thing to keep in mind. Pay attention to the people around you. Most people in the cities and places like these are so preoccupied they won't even notice you taking something off of someone, or at least don't care. Guards are another story."

By Jake's account, Finn looked mostly lost. Not that he could blame him, it's not like the kid had a lot of experience in this arena. Jake moved his hand around his back briefly, and Finn noticed that the lighter was gone when it returned. He was beginning to wonder where exactly Jake kept his stuff when he was suddenly interrupted.

"But there's really only so much you can learn from someone else. The only way you'll really get good at something is to practice yourself. Come on, let's move over a little and find you a nice easy target."

Now faced with the prospect of actually having to perform the task himself, Finn's anxiety returned in full. "I'm… really not sure I can." But if there was one thing Jake could do well, it was inspire confidence in people. "Believe me, yes you can. The only difficult part is overcoming your own mental barriers. Once you know you can, you will. You've got all the advantages. A kid like you just kinda blends into the woodwork. People don't notice you, which means you're perfect for this."

Finishing his speech, Jake began pushing Finn, who reluctantly allowed himself to be led, around the edge of the crowd. "Okay, check out the lady with the red leather purse. Just walk up, lightly reach in and grab the first thing that feels valuable, like a wallet or watch or something. As soon as you have something just walk away. That's all there is to it."

Finn was nervous, but at the same time he realized he had promised Jake he'd try. Steeling himself as best as he was able, he was about to make his move when a last thought crossed his mind.

"What happens if someone does catch me?" Finn asked. "Well you'd better be able to run fast." Was Jake's response. Finn flashed Jake an annoyed look. He just shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Marceline had just finished counting out the coins in her pocket book. Everything seemed to still be present, including her diplomat's identification. Satisfied, she slipped the pocketbook back into her cloak. A pained moan drew her attention to the crumpled form lying pathetically on the ground.

"Consider yourself lucky you only tried to steal my money. The last people that tried to steal my property all wound up torn to shreds." She said to the downed thief. With no further business to take care of, Marceline headed back down the alley, intent on finding Finn as quickly as possible.

The thief continued to writhe about on the ground for several minutes after Marceline's departure. "Bastard didn't mention anything about taking a savage beating. He'd better fork over hazard for this." He croaked out, rolling his jaw to try to work out some of the stiffness.

He slowly unfurled his left hand, which had been clamped in a tight fist. Bringing his fingers to his eyes, he reconfirmed that he was still holding the strand of hair he had seamlessly plucked alongside her wallet. He may have lost the cash, but he still retained the thing his employer was paying for.

The man had no idea why in Ooo it could possibly be of any value, but he was being paid handsomely enough to discourage any needless questions. When enough pain had subsided that he could stand, he took out a cell phone and dialed in several numbers.

… "Yeah, I got it. By the way, you didn't mention the chick was a damn monster."… "I'm barely holding together as it is."… "I should hope so. So where do you want me to come?"… "Alright."… "Okay. I'll be there in a few days."

The man closed his phone and tucked it back into his pocket. He snorted grotesquely and spit out a wad of bloody mucous. "I've got to retire soon." He took a final look at the strand of long black hair, "And this things gonna get me real close."

Finn and Jake walked aimlessly around their recent prowling grounds. Jake seemed to radiate a sense of smug satisfaction. A large Cheshire grin crossed his face as he let several coins slip from his hands into an open pouch.

He chortled in joy as the last of the coins fell from his fingers, "Hehehehe, aww man. I've gotta say Finn, you have one hell of a natural talent for this." Jake was actually as shocked as he was impressed. He'd been expecting Finn to barely muddle through with extreme difficulty, at best. Instead he found that Finn moved like Midas' ghost. He almost seemed to make gold just materialize.

Finn simply rubbed his shoulder, mildly embarrassed. "I don't think I'm really all that good. I'm probably just… lucky." Jake refuted, "Butterballs! I've seen guys with decades of experience who didn't work nearly as well as you. You're quiet, quick, light. You really got the skills to be a top tier thief."

Jake always seemed to speak in a joking manner, but he couldn't help but hold on to a slight hope that Finn really would take his words to heart; go off with him and steal for a living. Unfortunately, Finn's response brought back to Jake the sobering reality of his situation.

"I've already got a purpose. Anyway, I'm not really cut out for the life anyway. Sorry." Jake was saddened at first by Finn's decision, but it wasn't like he could force Finn to just run away and become a thief. Who knew, maybe Finn really was happy with that girl, and who was Jake to say he couldn't find happiness with her.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We can't all be thieves, after all. Everyone's gotta find their own way." Jake spoke, not exactly enjoying his words, but they were his mantra and he had to stick by them.

Finn and Jake exchanged smiles. "Hey, I just realized. I followed you around, now you have to help me find… my friend." Jake knew this was coming eventually, but it was nice to spend time with him regardless.

At that moment Jake looked past Finn to see a much taller woman in a purple cloak walking around the area as though looking for something. He'd only ever seen her once, but Jake could easily recognize the woman who had bailed Finn out at the police station, his owner. 'Speak of the devil.' He thought.

"She's actually right over there." Jake said, pointing Finn in Marceline's direction. Finn was happy to catch sight of his mistress but immediately turned back to Jake looking confused. "Wait, how did you know what she…"

"Say, uh, Finn, I'm just gonna go ahead and split now." As much as Jake cared about Finn, he really didn't feel prepared to meet with his caretaker. "Rea… Yea. Okay." At first unsure of why Jake was opposed to meeting with his mistress, Finn realized that explaining that he had been off learning how to be a criminal instead of dutifully waiting for her would be… difficult.

Still, Finn was saddened that he would once more be leaving the company of Jake. Even having only met him twice, Finn felt like he'd built nearly as strong a connection with him as he had with Marceline. It felt natural, almost familiar.

"Will I ever get to see you again?" Finn asked earnestly. "Yeesh, wanna try for a possibly more cliché line? Hehehe, I'm just yanking ya. Who can say kid? But I'd be willing to bet we'll meet up." In truth, there was not much more Jake could do than leave things to fate. But he would do anything he could to ensure he didn't lose Finn again.

"Well, I best be going." Before he could take two steps, though, Finn called out with one last thought. "Wait a second. You still have all the money. Don't I… get a cut, or something?" Jake just smirked, "Lesson fees, kid." And with thought Jake turned and was off into the city.

Finn watched him disappear with a small smile. But once he was gone there was nothing left for him to do except rejoin Marceline.

Marceline had followed the GPS unit to this locale, but it could only be so accurate and there was still a large mass of people blocking her sights. It could still take quite a while to find Finn, especially if he was moving.

"Mistress!" She suddenly heard called out a few feet to her side. She turned in the direction of the call and, sure enough, there stood Finn looking quite happy to see her. She was quite relieved to see Finn unharmed and waiting for her. 'A first' she thought bitterly.

She made her way over to him. "There you are. Was everything okay?" Finn responded a little too hastily. "Of course Mistress. Everything's fine." Marceline found it odd… almost disappointing to find him so calm. She was mildly impressed by just how far Finn had come from the frightened little thing she'd had on her hands when she first bought him. She was almost sad to see that go, it had been rather cute.

"But are you alright Mistress? Did you retrieve… whatever was taken?" Finn's questioned brought her out of her thoughts. "Yes Finn. I got it all back. It was rather tiring, though. I'd like to get back to the hotel now."

"Right." Was Finn's simple response. With that, nothing more needed to be said, and the two made their way out of the city and back to their hotel.

* * *

Marceline was happy to be back in her little haven where she could rest and unwind. Finn though, had time to really dwell on the day's rather notable events, more specifically that oh so colorful character.

But at the end of the night, after Marceline had fallen asleep rather early, his thoughts dwelt only on her. 'This wasn't fair. It was great that I got to meet Jake again, but all Marceline had to do today was get robbed and chase down bad guys. I've got to do something for her tomorrow.'

Mind exploring the possibilities of what he could do for Marceline the following day, a large yawn alerted him to the fact that it was indeed quite late, and he himself was very tired. Trudging to the shared bedroom, he shed his clothes down to his usual sleep attire and stood at the side of the bed.

Marceline lay in a deep sleep, form gently rising and falling with every delicate breath. She lay on her side close to the center, facing him. Finn noted just how peaceful she looked in her sleep. She looked to be almost… not fragile, more like… needy. Seeing her at rest just seemed to fill Finn with a sense that she needed him to serve her, and he would gladly do so until the end of time.

Finn slowly eased himself on the bed and under the covers, being careful not to make too much noise or motion. He kept his back turned to Marceline. Though still rather nervous about sharing a bed with her, he couldn't help but remember last night, and slowly eased his body back towards Marceline. He couldn't help himself, he was desperate for her touch, her embrace.

When his form had grown closer and his body heat reached out to her, Marceline instinctively grabbed at the warm body, wrapping her arms tight around Finn's chest. He allowed himself to be brought back into her, nestling himself into her presence.

A brief thought crossed his mind that he was somehow taking advantage of her, or tricking her, this interaction was inappropriate. But Finn couldn't care at this point. He was happy. Happy for the day's events, and happy to be laying there, held close by his dear Mistress, happy with the lot he felt so unbelievably fortunate to have been granted.


	35. Chapter 35

Marceline swung open the door to the room and stumbled in, staggering over to and unceremoniously throwing herself against the couch; having cast off her cloak and footwear. She was giggling extensively, as she had been for the duration of their walk back.

Finn walked in behind her, closing the door to their temporary home and checking on his mildly drunk Mistress. Towards the end of their day's excursion, she had come across an expensive wine stall. Finn was all too familiar with her general affinity for the liquid, and how easily she could fall under its influence.

Not that he particularly minded her behavior. She hadn't gone too far over the wagon, just drinking enough to "loosen up" a bit, as she put it. So she acted a little more… freely, but still acted mostly consciously. Honestly, she couldn't get much more drunk if she tried. Usually anything further would just put her to sleep.

"Oh, Finn, today was so much fun!" she said, voice very jovial (if ever so slightly slurred). "I'm happy you really enjoyed yourself Mistress." Finn said amicably, walking over to sit on the opposite side of the couch. He found it was usually best for him to be very close to Marceline when she was intoxicated just in case he was needed, which was often under these circumstances.

Marceline turned to lay her back against the armrest so she could face Finn, pulling her legs up onto the couch. "Lighten up Mr. serious. I know you enjoyed yourself too. Don't deny it." Marceline was always far more talkative in these states, often forcing Finn into largely meaningless and occasionally repetitive discussions. But being the devoted servant he was, he always contributed as much as he could to the conversation without any hint of dissatisfaction.

"O…Of course I had fun, Mistress." He replied, looking over to her before quickly glancing away to avoid her eyes. Finn couldn't explain why, but he noticed that something about Marceline's freer attitude somehow altered her appearance in a way that made him feel quite anxious.

Marceline had been wearing very tight fitting yoga pants, black in color that emphasized every contour of her shapely legs. A maroon t-shirt featuring the logo to some rock band hugged her torso. It was not overtly tight, a more comfortable fit, but sported a deep-v that ran a generous length down her chest.

Her hair was splayed all over the couch, black locks pressed somewhat close to her scalp form having been hidden under her hood all day. The alcohol had caused a light pink blush to color her otherwise near gray skin. But the look she gave him, unburdened as she was by her imbibing of the wine, was what really struck in his chest. He couldn't particularly describe what she was trying to portray, just that it was so… genuine, so innocent. It perplexed him how heavily an effect she had on him on any normal day, but whenever she got like this…

"Aww, come on. You can do better than that." Marceline shot him a pouty look, clearly looking for more robust chatter. "S… Sorry." Though Finn always ended up being dragged into these conversations, he still had very little conversational skill.

Marceline blew a raspberry at his response. "Pbfffbfbfbtttt! Lame! Come on, give me more than that." Finn continued to fidget under her gaze. "I was there for everything you were, Mistress… I was just lucky enough to have you as company." He really didn't know what forced him to add that last part. Though a true statement, he somehow felt as if he would've been better leaving that part off.

Marceline let out a chuckle at Finn's announcement. "How very… you, of you to say. Still, it was sweet of you though." Finn blushed at her kind words.

Marceline let out a low hum and continued her ramblings. "Almost sad we're going back tomorrow, but really there's not much else to do here except more of the same. It'd be worse to just wait around and let things get boring than leave now, wouldn't you say so?" Finn responded in the affirmative. "Right."

"Well, we still got the rest of the night. Hey is there any more wine around here?" Marceline inquired. Although the room was stocked with a respectable mini bar, it was mostly imported beers and liquors, but no wine. Finn was already aware of this, as well as his Mistress' extreme preference for wine over other alcohols. "Sorry, there's no wine here." He said. Marceline complained, "Aww, that suuucks. And I'm still really thirsty.

Finn gulped nervously, realizing that he had actually been awaiting something like this moment for some time today. "M… Mistress? If you want, you… could feed from me." Finn had been feeling somewhat ashamed already today. He had hoped that he'd be given the opportunity to do something at least a little special for Marceline, but nothing had presented itself. He figured the absolute least he could do was offer his blood to his Mistress.

Truth be told, Finn couldn't actually say with certainty whether his intentions were entirely that selfless. Of course, it was no question that he would happily do anything to please his Mistress, even freely give of his own life. But he realized he was at least equally as interested in having her feed for his own gratification.

Ever since the first time they had… tested the waters, so to speak, Marceline had fed regularly from Finn. It wasn't something done exactly often. They found that his blood could sustain her for roughly two weeks, far less than the demon blood did for her. Marceline, however, found his blood quite preferable to the demons, and every so often she'd ask Finn to let her feed just for pleasure, and of course Finn was always willing if not eager.

Marceline swept her legs under her so she was sitting on her knees, still facing Finn. She gave a sort of half-laugh half-hum. "Hmmm. Now this is what I was talking about. You almost never talk but when you do you have the best ideas."

She then turned away and vaulted herself off the couch to a standing position, wavering slightly off balance. Finn quickly stood to attempt to help, her hands going out and clasping his shoulders for stability. She gave a drunken laugh and twisted herself, sliding one of her arms around Finn's shoulder for support.

"Whoops, must be tired after today. Let's take this to the bedroom, okay?" Marceline said as she leaned against Finn. Finn was used to having to assist Marceline when she was like this, but that didn't stop him from becoming hyper aware of how close their bodies were positioned. She held him tight against her, his face just coming above her breasts.

Still, he understood her request and helped walk her over to the bedroom. Coming to the bed, Marceline allowed herself to slip from Finn, turning around and sitting back on the bed. From there she simply looked at Finn expectantly.

Finn was all too familiar with the routine by this point, knowing exactly what she was waiting for. With no delay, he removed his cloak and shirt and took a seat beside Marceline. He'd been expecting her to simply sit behind him or something in the like, but was caught by surprise when she instead grabbed him around the torso and threw him back on the bed.

Finn was lost for a moment, the action having occurred so quickly. Laying slightly diagonally on the bed, he propped himself up slightly to see what Marceline was doing. Immediately though, she was facing him on the bed and crawling towards him in a predatory fashion.

She positioned herself so she was kneeling right over Finn, face looking down into his. Finn's heart was racing, feedings had never gone like this before. Though to be fair, Marceline had never done this while intoxicated.

Marceline, for her part, was mostly unaware of Finn's thoughts at the moment. They both knew well that at the moment she was about to feed she got rather… narrow sighted. That's to say, she really was unable to focus on anything except her meal. Coupled with her drunken stupor, it almost seemed like she had forgotten Finn was even still a living thing.

But even through her clouded mind, it seemed Marceline still had an innate sense to ensure Finn's safety. She gently reached a hand up to Finn's head and pushed him back down so he was lying completely flat on the bed.

Appraising him, she lowered her head down to his collar bone, bringing her fangs just above it and sinking them into the thin flesh, joyfully sucking up Finn's blood. Her arms went out to her sides, finding Finn's and grabbing them by the wrist, keeping them pinned against the mattress.

Finn was slowly slipping into a pleasant stupor. He'd long since stopped feeling even the initial sting of her teeth invading him. It was slightly strange being pinned against the bed as he was by Marceline, but by no means unenjoyable. He was quite content to simply lie back and allow his mistress to take as she pleased from his body.

The minutes dragged on as Marceline kept her mouth clamped on Finn's flesh, greedily feasting off of his fluids. It seemed as though her intoxication had left her hungrier than usual, or perhaps her mind was just too clouded to find an appropriate stopping point.

Whatever the reason, Finn soon realized that Marceline was taking more of him than she usually did. As the nice feelings tingling throughout his nervous system were slowly receding and blackness was creeping at the corner of his mind he became just slightly frightened.

He had grown accustomed to these feedings, and was generally able to keep his consciousness after the first time, albeit in a rather impaired state. But now he was very aware that Marceline was taking too much blood, and he was close to passing out. He knew Marceline would never do anything to hurt him, but if he went under she may be liable to keep feeding, given the state she was in.

Before he completely blacked out, said in as loud a voice as he could manage, "Mis…tress." But that was all he could get out before slipping into unconsciousness. Still, even that little bit was enough to grab Marceline's attention for a moment.

At the addition of external stimuli, she suddenly realized just how long she had been feeding, and quickly dislodged herself from Finn's clavicle. The feeding seemed to have some clearing effect on her mind, as she not only came out of her blood lust but so too did most of her drunkenness seem to be gone.

Marceline looked up to Finn's face, finding his eyes shut and a look of peace about it. She was not worried though, as practically lying on top of him she could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He'd be fine; she just happened to remove a little more blood than she should have.

Arching her back, she leaned up so that she was at least sitting upright, though still atop Finn. She looked over her exhausted little slave with a sense of wonder. She began to ponder her recent attitude around him, how she freely allowed him to share her sleeping space, how little she seemed to care if she was exposed around him, how natural it felt to be in such intimate contact with him.

No, that wasn't quite accurate. Marceline was beginning to realize that she had practically begged Finn to her bed, that she openly displayed herself to him in the hopes that he would take notice, that she relished feeling his body smothered under her own. Whatever she had thought she felt for him was quickly becoming inadequate.

It finally dawned on her that these sensations were very familiar, and not in a way she was entirely comfortable with. "I can't seriously… Oh Glob." Marceline had lived a long life. She'd had companions that could have filled every possible social relation a person could ever experience. She'd had friends and father figures, lovers and bitter rivals.

It'd been many a decade since she last allowed someone access to her deepest emotions, and that had ended in a very poor fashion. Now she could hardly believe that she could be feeling something similar for Finn of all people.

She could scarce believe it, or maybe was just reluctant to do so. In either case, she couldn't figure out what she should possibly do with that information. As she sat atop her slave, the boy she had somehow developed feelings for, she realized that whatever she did next, things would be changed. Their relationship would be changed.

No small part of her rebelled against the idea. '_Are you nuts?! He's your SLAVE for Glob's sake, your servant. He's not someone to start a relationship with!"_ But an equally loud part of her wanted to rationalize her feelings and act on them. 'What's it matter if he's a slave. He's YOUR property. He's already devoted his life and body to you, it's only natural that you should have his heart as well.'

As her inner voices bickered in conflict, Marceline just sat and watched Finn's form, chest slowly rising and falling. Breathe in, breathe out. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out.

Marceline thought back on all the people she could say she had loved at one point or another. Everyone one of them had ended up hurting her in the end, either they die, realize their incompatible and separate with her, or betray her in some terrible fashion that forces her to seclude herself from the world for years. She'd suffered countless heartbreaks, emotional turmoil and even physical abuse.

And yet, had she the power she would not have changed a single thing. All her loves hurt her in the end, but that didn't mean the experience didn't mean the world to her. All the good ones and made her long life worth living for, and all the bad ones had left her smarter, and stronger in the long run.

She knew she had no power to force herself not to feel this way for Finn, but she also realized she had no right to force him to feel the same for her. Sure, she could make him do anything to suit her whims, but to require him to be involved in a purely physical relationship in which he could not reciprocate her feelings, well… she'd seen that played out before. It doesn't end well.

But if he could by some means return her feelings, it would be far different from any other relationship she'd had. All of the good ones had either ended because her partner was unsuited to her longevity, or the few ageless beings she had dated simply grew too far apart. The few times she'd tried to grant mortals long life, either through vampirism or some other means, they'd quickly found that, with a whole limitless world to explore, they had reason to question why they should stay with one girl.

Finn was different though. Their hierarchy was clear, he was her servant, her property. His mind was not wired the same as the others. He could be kept for a very long time…

It suddenly occurred to Marceline how long she had been thinking, still sitting atop an unconscious Finn. Looking once more at his peaceful face, she made her decision. She'd have to be careful how she went about it, but she would try. She wanted Finn, wanted him to love her.

It wasn't something she had to have immediately, she had time to wait for him, and time to sort out her own jumbled feelings on the situation. But for now, the night was dark, and tomorrow they'd be returning home.

For now, Marceline was content to accept her newly realized feelings. She leaned down to Finn, bringing her face close to his. She slowly planted her lips on his own. Even though he was unaware of what was happening, his lips were still soft and warm.

Slowly drawing back, Marceline laughed low and grimly to herself. "Guess I'm heading down this road again." She whispered to herself. Grabbing the corner of a blanket, she drew it ungracefully over herself and Finn, leaving herself draped over his from.

It may be a while before Marceline could truly move forward with Finn, but for now she could at least pretend. Digging her arms between his back the mattress, she laid her head on his chest, and let herself be lulled to sleep by the slow, soft beating of his heart.


	36. Chapter 36

**Back again, and in under a week this time. I just fired out a few short chapters detailing some plot points I wanted to quickly get out of the way before moving on. Little else to say. On with the story.**

The thief sat on an old wooden dresser, back against the cobblestone wall, counting his blessings that he was wearing leather pants; had he not he'd doubtless be spending the rest of the night picking splinters from his rear.

He was quite familiar with how these arrangements usually played out; his employer would pick a seldom-traveled location to conduct their shady business and somehow always, ALWAYS, manage to show up inexplicably late, forcing him to wait around, bored out of his mind in the most dreary locations possible.

He was not nervous, he dealt with people like this all the time. But still, likely as habit by this point, he made sure to take in every detail of the surrounding, plotting every possible escape route or weapon.

Though honestly, there wasn't much to see. He was in a dimly lit room enclosed by stone walls, the only light coming through the cracks in the boards over the windows. The room was circular, and sparsely furnished. It was clearly old and disused, cobwebs and dust littered the room.

'Really though, a stone windmill? Who even comes up with these things?' The thief thought, questioning the rather odd locale his employer had chosen for their meeting. He'd been waiting at least twenty minutes past the agreed meeting time. He was used to this happening, but that didn't keep him from becoming annoyed; he was a busy man too after all.

As he tapped his knuckles against the old wood of the dresser he was using as an impromptu seat, his eyes looked once more to the thick, wooden door separating the interior from the elements. He idly rubbed his jaw, still sore from the beating he had suffered a few days ago. Finally, it seemed, whatever deity that counted thieves among their domain decided to smile upon the man, and the door slowly creaked open.

A sinister looking figure, concealed head to toe in a dark cloak, came in through the door. With the exterior light at his back, his form was completely hidden in shadow, but even when the door was sealed and the light returned to its previous levels, the cloak hid nearly any defining feature. Still, it was obvious to the thief that this was the man he was to meet; and the whole "mysterious overlord" shtick was nothing new to him.

"Do you have it?" The new figure spoke in a very business-like manner, not mincing words. It was clear he desired to conduct their business as quickly as possible and be gone.

The thief replied in kind, "Yes, I have it. Of course, there's still the matter of the agreed upon payment, as well as the bonus for all my… pain and suffering." The thief saw the cloak of the man shift about, as though he were pulling at things from within. He finally extended an unhealthily gray-blue hand out from the cloak, clutching a velvet purse the size of a grapefruit.

He tossed the bag over to the thief, practiced hands easily snatching it out of the air. The thief opened the purse and peered inside. It was filled completely with small gold bars. The thief took one out and bit it. The bar yielded easily, proving its authenticity.

Satisfied, the thief closed the purse and placed it within his own satchel. He shoved himself off of the dresser and onto the floor. From a small, concealed pocket hidden by his sleeve, the thief produced the long black strand of hair he had gone through so much trouble to get. He walked the short distance to his employer and handed him the hair.

The cloaked figure deftly plucked the strand from the thief's fingers and held it close to the opening to his hood. The thief could hear the man sniff the strand, which rightfully creeped him out a bit.

Of course, to the man's credit, he had to be sure that he was given the correct item he'd paid so handsomely for. 'It's hers alright.' He was certain he had the correct follicle, he could never forget her scent.

Having gotten what he came for, and with no other reason to stay, the man turned and left without another word. Greener men might have been shaken by the inarguably sketchy ordeal, but the thief had been at this game for a long time. He'd seen stranger men than this one, and he actually paid without attempting to weasel his way to a lower price.

All in all, this turned out to be extremely lucrative for the thief. He'd be able to live out the rest of his life in comfort with the gold he'd just acquired. He never felt remorse for his targets, those he stole from or those he hurt; and he certainly held no concern for the young woman whose hair he just sold to some faceless man.

He'd figured the man to just be some stalker who happened to have a lot of expendable capital to further his obsession. Still, he couldn't help but feel some sort of… cold sensation coming from the man. A sensation that called to question the man's real motives behind the exchange. 'Oh well. Not like it's my problem.'

* * *

Jake stared up at the massive, dying tree, strangely situated in the middle of an otherwise barren plain. You could barely make it out from a distance, but up close you could see wooden walls and structures haphazardly built into and on the tree.

This had been the dog's home for the last several years. To most people who had a comfortable amount of resources, the place would appear to be a dump, but when Jake had found the deserted structure he felt as though he had inherited a palace.

If nothing else, the place was large, easily equivalent to a six story building. Its massive branches extended out from the hulking trunk. Sickly pale green leaves gave the tree an almost dome shape. The leaves themselves apparently had hardened into a single solid structure, forming the main walls.

A ramshackle shack had been built at the base, actually connecting to the trunk. This contained the main door through which Jake entered. The entire inside of the tree was hollow. Many, many rooms had been carved into the wood or added on as external structures.

The place was fully furnished when Jake had moved in. It was evident that someone, long ago, had lovingly crafted this place to be a very intricate home, but by the time he had found the place had fallen into severe disrepair.

Dust had been caked onto nearly every surface. Whole rooms had been sealed because their walls were rotted almost paper thin. The old furnishings were beat up and torn. The tree had been fitted with an electrical system, powered by a subterranean generator. It had been broken when Jake first moved it, but he did eventually manage to fix it and restore power to his little fort.

"Home sweet home." Jake said, closing the door behind him. The entry room was totally empty, save for a ladder at the far end that allowed entry to the rest of the house. Curiously, the house had been built largely without stairs. Ladders and catwalks provided the main means of getting around.

Jake climbed the ladder which led him to the main floor. From there, he continued to ascend to the top floor, where he made his home in the master bedroom. Jake had left the tree largely the same as the way he had found it, removing almost no items and leaving most everything where it had originally been.

The only exception was the bedroom, which he had furnished with several personal items. Coming into his room, he immediately walked to the far wall, against which was a large treasure chest, the brim of which almost came to his eye level. He opened the chest and peered inside.

What else did one expect to find in a treasure chest except treasure? The chest was over halfway filled with pieces of gold and silver, coins from every kingdom in Ooo, gems and fine jewelry, intricate statues and all manner of prized possessions, all gleaming brilliantly. The sight could blind a miser.

Obviously a person's surroundings were by no means a clear indication of their wealth. After all, Jake was a master thief. From his back, he produced the loot he and Finn had acquired in the Sky Kingdom, and tossed it into the bin, uttering a sad sigh as he did so.

With his haul safely stored, he closed the bin and went to his bed. It was a rugged affair, twin size, but blanketed by the pelts of vicious animals. Jake had always figured the previous owner to be a hunter of some sort. The myriad of animal parts and trophies around the house would support that claim.

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked to his nightstand. Placed atop it was an old, faded photograph tucked inside of a simple black frame. A crack spiderwebbed out from the top right corner, but did not do much to detract from the actual picture.

The photo itself depicted a family of dogs similar to Jake himself on a bright and sunny day. The largest stood on the back left. He almost appeared identical to Jake as he was now, save for the fact that he wore a gray fedora. He had his arm around a similar looking figure, though this one was clearly a female who also wore a decorative wide-brimmed hat and fine earrings.

Pictured in front of them was duo of pups, nearly identical to the larger dog, but only coming up to half of his height. They appeared to be locked together as though in a scrap, but each had a large smile plastered over their face as though laughing.

All in all, it appeared as a completely average family photo, save for one odd point. A strange figure could be seen behind the female dog, clutching at her and just peeking out from the side.

This figure did not at all seem to fit in with the photo. He was no dog, but appeared extremely humanoid. He wore a light blue shirt, but his lower body was mostly hidden behind the woman. He appeared to be hunched over slightly, and appeared to be slightly shorter than the two dog children. His bright blond hair framed his face which was held in a shy smile.

Jake simply sat and looked at the picture in silence for some time, quietly basking in the few precious memories he had of the times before… that night. Back when he had no worries, and he spent his days in the company of his family; his mother and father, and his two brothers.

That seemed so, so long ago now. Two of those people were dead. One, he'd not seen in many years. And the last was… beyond his reach. Jake gave another sad sigh before turning away and laying down on top of the furs.

He was tired and needed rest, it had been a long day of travel. But as he lie there in his last waking moments, he refused to let his thoughts wander from Finn, the brother he'd thought he'd lost for good, and even when he had found him he couldn't just take him back.

'I swear Finn, I'll make you remember. I won't lose you again, I'll always be there when you need me from now on. I'll… find some way….'


	37. Chapter 37

Bonnibel sat behind the desk in her study, pouring over countless reports to go over, budgets to approve, bills to sign, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Some days she really wondered if the job was really worth the stress. She'd occasionally entertain fantasies of sneaking away from the kingdom, going far away and starting a new life.

But she knew the responsibilities were too great for any of her underlings to handle. Beyond that, she doubted she had what it took to give up so much. She was the sort of person to judge others based on their wealth and power. She herself ruled the wealthiest kingdom in Ooo; it was not in her nature to ever give up anything she owned.

She let out a relieved sigh as she signed her name on the final paper, moving it to the towering 'out' pile on her desk. Finally, she had finished her official business for the evening. Finally, she could turn her attention to her personal projects, for which she held infinitely more importance over her political duties.

As always, the thing at the forefront of her mind was that slave boy, Finn, and by proxy, the current status of that damned wizard she'd been forced to deal with. It'd been nearly two years since they'd first made their little arrangement, and she was still waiting on him to deliver.

Bubblegum was beginning to lose her patience. Though his actions had not cost her any money, she'd still had to give up one of her most closely guarded scientific secrets. She'd been expecting a lot, and so far she had nothing to show for it except for a few hastily written letters.

She hadn't actually heard from the man in almost three months. At this point she was strongly considering having the man terminated, having their dealings swept under the rug, and moving on to devise a new course of action.

She was currently scribbling furiously in her personal notes, dreaming up new chemical compounds to be synthesized and tested when she suddenly heard her window open, letting in a strong wind.

She spun around in her chair to find her mystery partner, hidden as always by his cloak, standing in front of her open window. 'Speak of the devil.' She thought, rather surprised by his sudden appearance. She'd actually only met with him in person a few times after their initial meeting. Usually he'd simply slip in unseen and leave a detailed report for her.

But since he had once more intruded on her own turf, she would make sure their meeting went undisturbed. She stood from her chair and walked over to the door, carrying herself with as much dignity as she did at any official meeting. She reached the door and quickly locked it, turning back to the man.

Bonnibel addressed him, "I haven't heard from you in quite some time." He replied, "What can I say, Princess? I've been extremely busy in recent days." Bonnibel, however, was not in any mood for sarcasm, least of all from him.

"Oh, you've finally been busy?" She asked, slight anger rising in her voice. She walked threateningly towards the man, "Two years. It's been two years since you promised me that boy. Two years you've had my formula, using it to do Glob knows what, which is apparently anything except fulfilling your end of the bargain!" Bonnibel was staring daggers at the man.

Unfortunately, she couldn't see what kind of expression lay beneath the shadows of his hood, and his body language betrayed nothing. Instead he simply stared (presumably) back at her, answering in a coldly calm voice, "Temper, temper, Princess. Let's not forget our place." To emphasize his point he raised a fist in front of him, letting electricity crackle menacingly across the surface.

"You only had to give me one thing, which you did. I'm the one designing the downfall of the Vampire Queen so you don't have to dirty your hands, I'm the one taking all the risks with this operation, and it's only by my grace that you'll end up getting anything out of this."

The two sat looking intensely at one another. Bubblegum was not happy with his attitude, and less so with his threats. But the cloaked man did not come here to make threats, and decided it would just be easiest to diffuse the situation, since he perceived himself to be the one in power here.

Hastily, putting his arm away, he continued as if everything he'd said so far had been a big joke. "Is what I could say, but I didn't come here to bicker, Princess. In fact, I have some very good news I believed you'd be ecstatic to hear."

Bonnibel folded her arms and continued to stare at him, though now she appeared more annoyed than angry. She didn't take his threats lightly, having learned her lesson during their first meeting. But he was an idiot if he thought she hadn't prepared a suitable response to his hostility since then. In fact, at any moment she could flick a switch that could flood any room in her castle with a powerful nerve gas that would render any non-candy person unconscious.

But now he claimed he had actual news to give her, and loathe as she was to tolerate him she couldn't risk not hearing him out. Already sick of his presence, she motioned for him to hurry up and spill his guts already.

"I realize I've taken quite some time to… prepare everything, and your impatience by this point is justified. But now I have nearly everything in place. In two, three weeks tops I'll be ready to make my move. Then you'll have your prize."

Bonnibel offered no words in response. At some level, she was still highly skeptical that the man was ready to make good on his promise, but then again he had never necessarily lied to her.

The man gave his signature dark chuckle that could have chilled a snow golem. "I realize how unbelievable this may seem after so long, but I assure you, it's happening. Very soon, it's happening."

Bubblegum had regained her composure, but any excitement she may have felt was overshadowed by the exhaustion she felt for having to deal with this character. She just wanted him out; out of her room and out of her life. "Very good, then. If that's all, I still have much to attend to tonight."

The man was not fooled. He realized just how much the Princess despised him. Nevertheless, he really had no reason to further antagonize her tonight, and he still had much to plan for in the next couple weeks. "Of course Princess, I shall take my leave immediately. When next we meet, I'll fulfill my promise."

Having finished his speeches for the night, the man turned back to the still open window, jumping out and becoming lost to the Princess, as he always did. Now alone once more, the Princess blew a strand of pink hair out of her face with a perturbed huff and walked over to the window to shut it.

She collapsed back into her big leather chair and lazily spun around in it. She just had to wait a little bit longer to collect on her prize, the one thing she'd been waiting on her whole life. 'That man had better deliver. If this turns out to be one more goose chase, I'll make sure he suffers in an unbearable hell for the rest of his miserable life.'


	38. Chapter 38

**Well, It's finally time. Good God, but this took me a hell of a time to write. Yes, this is the long-in-coming chapter that I have been saving to test my lemon-writing capabilities. I can't possibly imagine that anyone reading by this point would be offended by this scene, but to be on the safe side it has been denoted with triple gray lines. Still, I did my best to write in as much a civilized manner as I could. Besides all that, there's a lot of important character development in this chapter, so there's that to look forward to. I was more fearful writing this chapter than any other, but hell, it's here, done, nothing left I can do. On with the story.**

* * *

Finn stood idly in the kitchen by the stove, waiting for the kettle's whistle to signify that the water had been heated to a suitable degree (roughly 373 Kelvin). Two large ceramic mugs stood close by on the adjacent counter, each filled with instant cocoa powder. Marceline had requested a warm beverage, leaving the finer choice to him. He himself felt like he could do with something sweet.

He stood, as always, in his fur-trimmed cloak, below which he was clothed in a thick blue sweater and black pants. Ooo had a very fickle climate, and even though it had barely passed into the season of fall the temperature had fallen to near freezing across the land.

The actual causation had to do with a massive glacier in the East Sea and powerful winds bringing its chill across the land, though Finn had no knowledge of this. All he knew was it was cold. Even deep within their cavern the chill pervaded, and though Marceline had the means to heat her house slightly he still found it necessary to layer up.

As people are won't to do, Finn's thoughts ran freely given this peaceable moment to himself. He had found himself feeling rather confused as of late, mostly regarding the recent behavior of his Mistress.

Finn found it difficult to explain in words. Marceline had seemed… distant, or conflicted, maybe. He couldn't place exactly when her behavior had begun to waver, only noting that it had seemed to grow stronger in recent weeks.

She hadn't treated him any worse. She still made all her usual respective demands of him. And she still fed from him regularly. It may have simply been his imagination, but it almost seemed to Finn like she was avoiding him more. She seemed to spend less and less time in his presence, and except for when she fed, seemed to consciously avoid physical contact.

That said, when she did actually feed from him he noticed that even after she had finished her touch would linger. She'd spend a great deal of time simply sitting or lying there, holding him. Of course he never brought it up, both enjoying the company himself but also being so weak after bloodletting to remove himself. But as soon as she drew away she'd once more be avoiding him.

Finn had begun to feel rather saddened as these quirks became more pronounced. After those days spent in the Sky Kingdom, after those nights he spent in the embrace of Marceline, he felt… deprived.

He didn't understand any of it. Why did it seem like Marceline was avoiding him? Had he done something to upset her? Was she simply growing tired of him? That couldn't be the case. Finn refused to believe that was a possibility. After all, Marceline was his…

What was she to him? His Mistress, yes, that much was given. He would serve her with unwavering loyalty for the rest of his days, but the devotion he knew was expected of a servant was not the same as what he felt. Not exactly.

How was he expected to make sense of these things? He'd spent half his life in a cage, with only slaves not much smarter than him to talk to, and before that he had no memory. He had never learned of concepts like love or compassion, at least enough to label them. He'd only been taught to serve without question, a trait that had been thoroughly imprinted upon him.

A piercing whistle sounded from the kettle as steam was jettisoned through the small hole. Finn set aside his thoughts to move the kettle to a cooler section of the oven, turning off the burner. He poured the hot water into each of the mugs, topping each off with a small bit of milk and stirring up the contents. Grabbing each by the handle, he made his way to the lounge.

* * *

Marceline was sitting on her couch, relaxing and watching some senseless television. She herself was dressed in warm clothes, long pants and a thick sweater, and also had a big, fluffy blanket wrapped around her.

People seemed to have this idea that vampires were "cold blooded", which was not necessarily true. True, their body temperature was lower than most species in Ooo, but there were in fact colder species than they. Still, that didn't mean they liked to freeze themselves.

She heard Finn pad into the room and come around the couch. "Here you are, Mistress." He softly said as he placed one mug on the table in front of her. He then walked himself over to the armchair and took a seat, setting down his own mug.

Marceline made an effort to try to keep her focus on the television but continually found herself stealing glances at Finn. Ever since her… revelation, at the festival, she'd found it extremely difficult to interact with Finn as she had before.

She couldn't help but marvel at how far Finn had come from the broken little cretin she'd first found. He'd grown, physically as well as mentally. He would probably come up to her chin by now. It was easy to forget how short he actually was when in simple comparison to how small he had been.

Their relationship had matured as much as Finn had. Finn had come to know her, and her expectations of him, so well that their normal day-to-day had become almost entirely routine. In other words, they'd become completely comfortable with each other.

Perhaps that was the reason Marceline had such trouble approaching him in recent months. She had no clue how she could possibly go about explaining to Finn how she desired for him to feel different things to her. How can she simply ask a person to love her? How could she explain what she felt for him? How could she even explain what love meant?

She looked to Finn again. His golden hair had grown rather long, coming over an inch below his shoulders and pooling in the hood his cloak. 'That cloak…' She thought, scrutinizing the garment.

She'd bought that cloak for him the day she bought… well, him, over five years ago. The cloak, which once served to totally envelope him, now hung closer to his knees, and seemed to fit tighter around his shoulders.

It suddenly occurred to her that he never actually removed the thing. Even when they weren't travelling, when they were simply staying in her home, he wore the cloak all day. As far as she knew, he only removed it to sleep.

It never occurred to her as odd before, but for some reason she suddenly desired to question this. She called over to her servant, "Finn?"

Finn had been attempting to sip from his beverage, but after barely touching it to his tongue felt it burn, and quickly removed it. Upon hearing his Mistress call his name he set the drink back down and turned to her. "Yes, Mistress?"

"Why is it that you always wear that cloak? Every day, all day, outside and indoors, you've always got that thing on. Why?" She spoke in a politely curious demeanor, rather than as a demanding question.

Finn hadn't been expecting any sort of questions, especially regarding this topic. His fingers went to the edges and he pulled the cloak tighter around himself. He stuttered mildly nervously, rather unsure of how exactly he was supposed to answer. "I… I, don't… really know. It's just… I do."

Marceline supposed she really couldn't have expected much more of an answer. Why did Finn do anything at all except for that fact that that was all he knew. Her thoughts stayed idle on the topic as she continued through with the conversation. "You know, that thing is really old and beat up. Maybe we should go out and get you a new one…"

"No!" Finn interjected suddenly, before she could finish her statement. Marceline was startled by his outburst, and looked questioningly at him. Finn shrunk back in his chair, looking away from Marceline continuing to clutch at the cloak. "No." He said, much, much softer this time.

Marceline sat in silence, waiting for Finn to catch her gaze. When finally he peeked back up at her he saw her expression that clearly questioned his outburst and desired an explanation. "I can't give this up. This cloak… it's… it's the first thing…" He trailed off there.

Marceline finished for him, "It's the first gift I gave you." But Finn shook his head, softly answering back, "It's the first gift… anyone gave me." Finn tilted his head back down after saying this, looking almost forlornly at his steaming mug.

Marceline felt stun, and slight remorse. She'd often forgotten that before Finn fell into her care he was living in literal cages, subservient to men infinitely crueler than she, for five long years. Of course he'd had no bright spots in that terrible chapter of his life.

But even so, Marceline knew he'd only been with them for five years. That still left quite a large amount of time unaccounted for. She didn't believe she'd ever asked him about his past; it had never been relevant to her.

Now, however, things were changing quite rapidly. It seemed odd to her that the boy seemed to imply that he had never, EVER, been shown any sort of kindness in his life prior to meeting her. Tonight seemed as good a night as any to try and unravel these mysteries.

She began slowly, cautiously. "Finn… You've never really told me about… well, your life. Before you became a slave, that is." She tried to speak as caringly as she could, but Finn still seemed to grow even more depressed with this question.

"I… Don't remember. I don't remember anything before the camp… All I knew was my name, but nothing else." He continued to speak very softly. Marceline's heart wrenched in sympathy for Finn.

"You truly don't remember anything. Nothing at all?" She asked again. "N…" Finn almost started, but stopped just short of speaking. Marceline crooked her neck slightly, it was obvious Finn had taken something else into consideration.

"I… maybe. I don't really know… for sure. But… well, I… have this dream, sometimes. I have it a lot. Well… not so much anymore, but I used to have it all the time." Finn paused briefly and looked up to Marceline. She was watching him intently, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"In my dream… I'm in a caravan camp. Everything is burning, and there a lot of big men… killing everyone in the camp. And at the end… I always get hit and black out… and someone screams my name." Finn almost looked to be in pain. Marceline could see the hints of tears just forming in the corner of his eyes.

He continued speaking, "The dream is always exactly the same… Sometimes, it doesn't even seem like a dream… Like, I can feel the fire burning my skin. I can feel this thing bash my chest… It's less like a dream, and more like… like a memory." Finn audibly choked back a sob as tears slowly streamed down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry… Mistress… I… shouldn't… have bothered you… with this." He croaked out between sobs. Marceline couldn't stand to see Finn, her Finn, break down any further. Without any thought, she stood from her spot on the couch and walked over to Finn.

She wedged herself into the free space on the chair between Finn and the armrest. In a single fluid motion, she had turned Finn towards her and embraced him, drawing his face into her shoulder and wrapping her large blanket around the both of them,

Finn, thoughtlessly, threw his arms around Marceline's back and held onto her tightly, now crying unrestrained into her. Marceline simply held him as he released many years' worth of repressed terror. She had her left hand around his back and her right softly stroking his hair.

They sat like that for a good twenty minutes before Finn had calmed himself. When finally his sobbing had subsided, he tried to address Marceline, voice still slightly broken, "Forgive me, Mistress… I shouldn't… "

Marceline cut him off quickly, saying, "Finn, please. You don't have to apologize. I know you've been through a lot. I know you were treated badly by the merchants. I know you've lost much of your memory. Even after you came with me, your life has still been put in danger. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you all those times, but…"

Marceline had to collect herself, now was the moment when she would decide whether or not she revealed her true feelings to Finn. She let a very slight chuckle escape her lips, "But now, you're stuck with me. And I… I really care about you, Finn."

Marceline could feel Finn's arms loosen around her as he pulled back a short distance. They looked into each other's faces. Finn's eyes were still rather red, but he had dried his tears on her sweater. Marceline's expression looked somewhat sad, but also displayed an extreme amount of caring.

"Finn…" She began. It was now or never. "There's something I… want, from you." Before Finn had a chance to verbally reply she had leaned her face forward and pressed her lips into his.

Finn had no idea what was going on. It felt like electricity was arcing across his body in the most pleasant way. His arms went limp as his Mistress put her face against his. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was certainly enjoying it. For a moment he almost thought she was feeding from him, but there was a noticeable difference in the feeling. This wasn't an overwhelming sensation that sent him into a haze, but a more subtle exchange of energy between them.

Marceline lost herself. She was finally about to get everything she desired; or might possibly alienate Finn for good. Finn wasn't moving, but he wasn't pulling away either. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

Marceline held them together for a good while. When she finally pulled away she looked into Finn's eyes, which were open wide. A blush had appeared across both of their faces. Finn pulled himself out of the lingering daze enough to ask, "Wha… What was that?"

Marceline was almost regretting what she had done, as she now had no clue how to proceed. Well, she supposed she'd just have to play it by ear. "That… was a kiss, Finn. People kiss when… when they… love someone."

Finn, still looking somewhat flustered, now looked mildly confused as well. "What do you mean by 'love someone'?" Marceline was afraid of this; the kid had absolutely no concept of the feeling. This was going to be difficult.

She began, seeming unsure of her own words, "Love is… when you care about someone more than any other person in the world, even more than yourself. It's when you want to spend your life with them beside you. It's when you have someone that just makes you feel… happy, and you'd do anything to make them happy too." She was rather surprised by how well spoke.

She continued to watch Finn, whose confused expression was slowly changing to that of contemplation. He spoke, "Is that what happens when I get this tight feeling in my chest… like my insides are moving all around, but it doesn't hurt. And it makes me feel nervous?"

Marceline slowly understood the implications of Finn's explanation, "I think so Finn." Finn continued, "But… what you said. That's how I've always felt about you. Because I'm… your slave" Marceline thought back, and it did seem that her definition completely fit Finn's feeling toward her for nearly the entirety of their time together.

Marceline spoke, nearly at a whisper now, "I guess the difference is… you don't have a choice when you're a slave. It's when you're in love that you want to make someone happy." She looked down between them, avoiding his eyes. Maybe she really had misinterpreted his feelings. Maybe there really wasn't any chance for him to feel so strongly for her.

Finn was able to pick up on her distress, but had only a vague clue as to what exactly was going through her head. He knew he had to say something at this point, but the last thing he wanted at this point was to make his Mistress unhappy. The best thing, he figured, that he could do was to tell the truth.

"Mistress…" He held his tongue back, carefully deciding what he should say. "Marceline…" He cautioned using her real name; this was obviously very important to the both of them. At the sound of her actual name, Marceline raised her head to reconnect their gaze. "I know… you bought me to be your slave. But you're also the only person who was ever nice to me. More than nice… I really do care about you, I think, in the way you just said. It's been a very long time sinceI served you just because it was my duty. I want you to be happy Mistress… And if you need me to love you to be happy… I can do that. I want to."

Marceline was now the one on the verge of tears. Looking into Finn's eyes, which now seemed stalwart in comparison to her own demeanor, she could see true and utter devotion. "Are you sure Finn?" Her voice was so small, but held so much hope. Finn nodded, and offered her his usual weak smile.

For Marceline, the worst was now over. Finn had essentially just pledged his undying love to her; at least, that's what she perceived. But now that she knew he was in agreement with her feelings, her confidence was rapidly returning.

She rose up slightly, a smile, delightfully wicked smile was now creeping across her as she looked slightly down at Finn. "If that's the case then, there's a lot more I'm going to be expecting of you."

Finn saw an unfamiliar gleam in her eye, and couldn't deny that the smile was just the slightest bit unnerving. But he was unconcerned. Whatever she desired of him, he'd happily oblige. Never losing his smile, he said, "Anything, for you, Mistress."

In lieu of an explanation, Marceline brought both her hands up to cup Finn's face. She brought her own face down and locked lips with him once more, this time with much more unreserved passion.

Marceline felt a warmth starting to fill her entire body, an energy, a desire. She knew she was in a position to mark Finn as hers in the most permanent way. It had been many a year since she last felt the intimate touch of another, and she had long been craving a lover's embrace since she first realized her feelings for Finn.

She drew back from him, finding that he had closed his eyes, lost in the moment. He slowly opened his eyes to see Marceline looking at him with a completely unfamiliar expression. It was almost like a look of hunger, but notably different. Her breaths escaped her in lightly audible gasps.

Before he knew what was happening Marceline had quickly stood up, flinging the blanket off of the both of them. As she stood, her hands went to his wrists, grabbing them and pulling him up alongside her.

She spoke quickly, almost sounding short of breath. "Come with me to my bedroom." This sounded like far more of a demand than anything else she had said tonight, but Finn would dutifully follow regardless. She turned around but kept one hand clasped around his left wrist, and marched them out and up the stairs toward her quarters.

* * *

Marceline practically dragged Finn into her room, not because he was resisting, she was just moving so hastily. He looked around her room, amazed at how alien the place still felt despite how long he'd lived here.

Marceline pushed Finn to the edge of her massive bed, whose indigo curtains were held open at the foot. He was still unsure of what she had planned, but he trusted her completely. She stepped up to him, standing very close to his body.

She gave a playful smile before pushing him backwards. His legs had been right at the edge of the bed, so he easily gave way and stumbled back into the thick blankets. He crawled back slightly so he was positioned more towards the head of the bed.

Marceline surprised him slightly when she lifted her sweater over her head and tossed it aside, revealing the thin white tank top she had on underneath. She placed her hands on the bed and gracefully lifted herself up, landing so she was crouched above Finn's lower body.

Finn crawled back further still, until his back was slightly propped up against the multitude of pillows placed against the headboard. Marceline matched and exceed his movement, bringing her face up very close to his own.

He noticed her eyes were half-lidded, and she wore a… knowing smile. "Finn… I'm going to teach you quite a few things tonight." She darted forward quickly and captured his mouth once more.

This time, though, Finn was surprised when he felt something warm and wet intrude in his mouth. It was her tongue. This was a very strange sensation for Finn, but he graciously allowed Marceline's tongue to dominate his own. He could feel every twist and turn occurring inside of his mouth. Her own tongue seemed slightly different from his own, longer and thinner.

As they kissed, Marceline ran her hand up Finn's chest. Her fingers were dragged upward along his abdomen, across his pectorals. Her hands ghosted across the collar around his neck and finally curled around the sides of his head, digging into his thick hair.

After what seemed like an eternity to them both, Marceline finally leaned back. Finn's face was totally flushed as blood surged across his body. By now he didn't care that he had no knowledge of what exactly was happening. Marceline knew exactly what she was doing, and Finn was totally content to let her do whatever she pleased to him.

He was becoming more and more aware of his body's reaction to all these happenings. He could feel the weight of Marceline's form atop him, pinning him into the luxuriously thick mattress. He took notice of her body as well. He didn't know why he was drawn to it the way he was; the length of her legs, the thinness of her frame, the swell of her breasts, he was drawn to all her best physical features, but couldn't explain why in a coherent manner. It seemed more like some sort of primal knowledge drove him in these respects.

Now Marceline was on the move again. She first unhooked the clasp holding Finn's cloak, which fell to the bed. She trailed her hands back down his torso, lightly digging her clawed fingertips into his skin. When she reached the bottom of his sweater, she curled her finger underneath the fabric and lifted. Finn relinquished all control to her, going limp and allowing her to remove the garment from his body, which she then tossed to the side of the bed.

Marceline gazed at his bare chest. His skin was almost clear white. Then her gaze shifted to the now completely exposed metal collar, the symbol which served as a constant reminder as to the core of their relationship. Finn belonged to her. She felt no guilt for thinking this; it was a simple fact. A fact made all the sweeter with the knowledge that Finn would willingly… has willingly given his life to her.

"Your mine," She let out, really more a breath than something meant to be heard. She leaned down again, this time hanging her head over Finn's torso. Her silk-soft hair hung down the sides of her face and tickled Finn.

She placed a soft kiss on the top of his chest, at the tip of his sternum. Then another towards the middle. She pecked a trail of kisses down his chest and stomach. When she finally reached his waist she lifted her head just a bit to look up at Finn. He had his head back against a pillow and seemed to be staring at something in the ceiling. His breathing was elevated, she could hear each inhale and exhale raggedly entering and exiting his lungs.

She hooked her index finger around the waistband of his pants and pulled them slowly down, still leaving his boxers as they were. She had to crawl backwards a bit to remove them completely from him, tossing them aside along with his socks. Finally, Finn lay before her, nearly naked save for his boxers, staring at the ceiling and practically panting in anticipation.

Now was her turn. She stretched out once again over Finn, bringing her mouth up to his neck. Finn felt her place a harsh kiss there, almost seeming to be attempting to suck his flesh off. It felt odd to him, accustomed as he was to being fully bitten. All the while he felt Marceline squirming against him, driving him crazy. He let an adorably pathetic whimper escape his throat.

Marceline eventually disconnected and lifted herself up so she was sitting straddled atop him. Finn shifted his gaze to Marceline, noting she now wore nothing except that deviously thin tank-top and a pair of purple short-boxers.

Finn was waiting with bated breath for Marceline to make her next move. He couldn't describe how he felt except that he was excited. But Marceline simply sat there, watching him for an extended time. Finally she told him, in a very low, husky voice, "Sit up."

Finn moved almost hypnotically, unable to look away from her brilliant violet eyes, and scooted himself up so his back was now up against the mountain of pillows at the headboard.

Once Finn had stopped moving Marceline moved her hands to the bottom of her tank top, slowly dragging it up and off of her torso. Finn's eyes grew massive and his mouth hung open comically as his Mistress exposed herself to him.

Marceline wore her nudity unbothered by the presence of Finn, who seemed paralyzed. She giggled at his behavior. 'You can break down any man until there's almost nothing left. You can cage them their whole life so they have no knowledge of the world. But put a nude girl in front of them and suddenly that's all they know.' She thought.

She then inched herself closer to Finn, who was able to tear away his gaze to reconnect with her eyes. When she was positioned between his legs, she spoke to him, "I want you to touch me Finn." Finn though, made no move to do anything.

Marceline seemed almost annoyed for a moment. She didn't know if his hesitance was due to nervousness or a simple lack of knowledge. Either way, it seemed she'd have to guide Finn throughout the ordeal.

She reached out and grabbed both of his hands at the wrist and brought them up to her chest. She felt Finn's warm skin come into contact with her bare breasts and released her hold on him. "Go on." She said, hoping he could at least figure things out from this point.

Working as much by instinct as guess work, Finn simply began kneading her breasts. Marceline allowed her head to dip back slightly and her eyes to closed, indicating to Finn that he was moving in the right direction.

Becoming more comfortable, Finn began moving faster. Things felt more natural as he went on. He brushed his thumbs over her excited nipples, eliciting a light moan from Marceline. Taking her cues, Finn began to work on her more sensitive zones, listening for any indication as to where she was most sensitive.

This was nice, but Marceline was rapidly becoming more and more worked up. She needed to get things moving faster. Bringing her head back down to look at Finn, she reached her hand out to him without his notice.

It snaked its way into his pants and found his fully erect member. She grasped hold of it, forcing a shocked breath out of Finn who stopped his ministrations. "Keep going." She ordered sultrily to him. When finally he had the presence of mind to continue, Marceline rewarded him by beginning to stroke his shaft with her soft, delicate hands.

Finn groaned at length. He was almost in disbelief at how surreal things were becoming. The things Marceline was doing to him, the pleasure she was causing, were quite similar to how he felt when she fed from him. But whereas that happened at a nervous level, this feeling was far more physical, more present.

With no warning, Marceline immediately pulled her hand away, causing Finn to whimper in disagreement. Marceline, though, knew she had to hold back if she didn't want to… spoil him so quickly. Finn was completely new to this; she knew she'd have to ease him into this lifestyle like she did when she began feeding from him.

Marceline was on fire now, and in desperate need of scratching the itch that pervaded within her. Almost trembling by this point, she gripped the band of Finn's boxers and pulled. Finn lifted himself to assist her, and soon he was sitting before her wearing nothing except the metal collar around his neck.

She finally got a picture to go with what she had felt before, sliding through her fingers. It was… more than she had expected, honestly. It'd work satisfactorily.

She teasingly reached her tongue out, and slowly licked it's length from base to tip, causing Finn to shutter and groan. Reaching the top, she continued her movement until she had risen back to his eye level. At last she fell backwards, hands going to her underwear to slide them off.

The two now sat before one another, totally exposed, totally open. For Marceline, this was the culmination of their slowly built relationship; defined subservience from which grew love. As for Finn, all he knew was that this was what his Mistress, his love, wanted, and by extension was what he wanted.

Marceline may not have realized it until recently, but she had been waiting for this moment for decades, and she was sick of waiting. Eyes filled with lust, Marceline lunged at Finn, forcefully locking their mouths together yet again as her hands went under his arms around his back, gripping needful at the roots of his hair.

Finn felt her tongue force its way into his mouth to dance with his own. Her soft breast were pressed tight into his chest. By some force he was not cognizant of, his own arms went around the small of her back, and held her as tightly as she held him.

Marceline brushed her hairless mound against Finn's member. The unexpected pressure forced a suppressed moan from the both of them. That was it; that was the last straw. Marceline was well ready to take him.

While she continued to passionately kiss him, mouths only separating for seconds at a time for air before reconnecting, she raised her hips up the necessary distance to position herself over him. She did not need to see to know what she was doing, her already impressive senses were heightened in the heat of the moment.

She slowly lowered herself on him, letting his sensitive head slip past her opening. Finn couldn't help himself, and threw his head back, releasing her hold on him. He let out an almost pained sounding squeal, but Marceline could tell from his eyes that he was reeling from the unfamiliar pleasure.

She sank lower and lower, until she had his entire length buried in her. Her abdomen trembled as she lowered her own head in a low moan. It'd finally happened, they'd become connected.

Finn's hips jerked unconsciously, his body was aware of what was being done even if his mind wasn't. Both were already quivering in ecstasy, and then Marceline began to move. She began slowly raising herself up, and letting herself fall back down, forcing Finn's staff to plunge deep into her core.

She moved her hips forward and back to add to the friction. Both leaned forward, eager to bring as much of themselves as close to the other as possible. Each rested their chin on their partner's left shoulder.

Each could hear the loving sounds escaping the other's mouths. Marceline moaned loudly, her throat humming and tickling Finn's ear. His groans were more suppressed, throaty and low.

Whenever Marceline brought herself and forced her way back down, Finn's hips would thrust up to meet hers. His body moved of its own accord, programmed by the primitive urges that drove all humans; the knowledge held deep in every man and woman's core.

They writhed together in synchronicity, minds melding as much as bodies in their singular purpose. Occasionally they would turn their head long enough to meet for a kiss before the sensations overwhelmed them, and one or the other's head would jerk back.

Time became a meaningless concept, neither could have said how long they were locked together like that. But eventually Finn felt something welling up within him. Despite all the pleasure he had felt at the hands of his Mistress, this still managed to stand out. He wasn't aware what it meant, but he could tell it would result in some manner of climax.

He didn't say anything, but Marceline could feel him tensing. She was aware of the signs that pointed to a man's imminent release; if he could just give her a little more time. Their pace had been rapidly building until they were frantically jolting against one another.

Finally Finn groaned out one last time as he released. Marceline could feel the warm seed spilled inside her, sending her over the edge into her own climax. By reflex, she bit into Finn's shoulder to muffle herself.

The intrusion into his flesh sent a whole conflicting wave of sensation through him. The familiar feel of this old comfort amplified his feelings, nearly overloading his nervous system. He screamed, his only way to cope with these overbearing sensations. Lights seemed to flash behind both of their eyes, until suddenly it was over in an instant.

Marceline slowly withdrew her fangs from Finn, whose puncture wounds did not heal, as this was no feeding; Marceline hadn't actually taken any blood from him. They sat there, still huddled together, heads resting on the other's shoulder, for some time as the lingering feelings and muscle spasms gradually faded away.

Eventually, all that was left was a sort of warm afterglow; and in Finn's case, a lingering soreness where he had been bitten. Still, they sat there, intertwined, simply holding onto each other as if they would drift away if they let go. They stayed like that for quite a while, in silence save for the heavy breathing.

* * *

Eventually exhaustion would take its toll, and Finn slowly fell back on the bed, taking Marceline with him. "I love you, Finn." Said Marceline, quietly yet filled with emotion. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this; completely fulfilled. She had Finn, owned all that he was; name, body, mind, and soul.

Finn himself shared similar feelings. Everything he had felt for his Mistress, which for so long he'd been unable to define, had finally been given a name as well as physical act to define it. He couldn't say with certainty that he fully comprehended everything quite accurately. But he was sure of one thing; he was happy, pure and simple. He gave his simple response, "And I love you, Mistress."

Nothing more needed be said between the two. Everything had been laid bare between them tonight. Now there was nothing left to do but lay together, and bask in the aftermath of their newly defined love.


	39. Chapter 39

**And... cue dramatic piano riff. Yes, I'm afraid that we just can't have nice things. On the plus side, We're finally on the home stretch. I can't say how much longer this will go on, but these things always end up going much longer than I anticipate, so expect a decent amount of story still to come. To all those who have been leaving comments on the last few chapters, I really appreciate the positive feedback. I really do go to great lengths for just a little bit of an ego boost. Anyway, here's more stuff. You can read it. On with the story.**

* * *

The strange wizard stood on the cliff overlooking the well-hidden cave that was home to his long time targets. He was standing in the exact same place as his short-lived cohort had once stood in when it was his duty to observe the two. Not that the man cared; he'd long since ceased to care anything for that outfit of imbeciles. He'd only ever joined them because he once heard they held mystical artifacts in their possession. Either they'd lost possession of them by the time he joined or the rumors were false. Either way, it was no great burden to him to see them all killed.

'Still though, I suppose it is to their credit that I'm even standing here now.' He thought. It was true, after all. If not for those men and their overzealous nature he himself would not even know Marceline had surfaced, let alone where she was currently hiding.

He'd spent a long time waiting on this moment; far longer just trying to find her. Now he finally had all the pieces assembled and ready to fall into place. A chilled gust blew at him from the front, throwing his hood back, exposing his smirking gray-blue visage and loosing his sickly thin white hair.

His patience and planning was about to finally pay off. He leapt down from the high cliff face, landing feet first in a thin layer of snow just beginning to coat the floor of the canyon. The jump seemed to barely have rattled him, let alone have damaged him. As he began walking confidently toward the mouth of the cave, several huge figures dropped to the ground behind him, shaking the stone with the force of their impact. He didn't even bother to look back, well aware of what was behind him. He kept his eyes focused forward, anticipating the moment of his victory. 'You're done hiding Marceline. It's time you resumed your rightful place with me.'

* * *

Within the cave, Marceline and Finn were preparing dinner. Well, Finn was preparing dinner, anyway. Marceline seemed more content to just stand behind Finn, her arms wrapped around his waist and her chin resting on his head. Finn didn't mind; far from distracting, her immediate presence was very comforting.

It'd been two weeks since their… mutual revelations. In that time the two had grown closer than ever before, barely ever leaving the other's presence. Marceline had even insisted Finn begin sleeping with her, as in unconscious resting, in her bed.

Every night and every morning Finn thanked his lucky stars for his fortune. From the earliest he could remember, his "awakening" in captivity, he'd only ever thought his life would involve constant subservience, and, at best, a master who didn't inflict pain on him daily. Never could he have possibly conceived he'd have someone who loved him, who he loved back. He never would have guessed he could actually live out his life in happiness with the company of someone so close.

Marceline had lived much longer than Finn, she'd seen far more good than he ever could in his life. But she'd also been alone for a long time; far longer than Finn. She realized it wasn't truly fair to compare her life to Finn's, she'd never gone through slavery. Still, it's hard not to draw comparisons.

It was good to have someone to love in her life again. And, she found, it was even better being literally the center of that person's whole world, almost like she was an object of worship. She wasn't the sort to normally crave idle attention, but to know she was the only light in someone's life was in indescribable feeling. She'd long been without someone upon whom she could inflict her long-built up affection.

As a bonus Finn was really warm, far more so than she herself. Ooo Had only been getting colder in the last few weeks. They were approaching near 0° (Fahrenheit) and had had some snow on the ground. It was really damn cold, was the point. Marceline only really minded a minimal amount. Cold hardly bothered her, and it gave her an excuse to be constantly holding on to Finn, as though she required one.

Both were operating in a sort of blissful non-attentive state, which is why it came as a rather major intrusion when they began to hear a very loud knocking on the door. But it was more than a simple rude awakening. No one except for Pepper had any idea they lived here, and they usually were aware of when he would show up.

Both were immediately filled with suspicion, and Marceline was instantly on the defensive. She allowed herself to slip away from Finn, peeling away from his cloak that had clung to her with static.

"Wait in here Finn." She said, calmly yet with an obvious hint of suspicion. She made her way into the hall, but Finn couldn't help but feel slightly concerned, so he walked over to the doorframe and peeked out from the side.

He saw her open the door, but whoever was on the other side was hidden behind her form. It was immediately evident that something was wrong as Marceline took a step back inside and her hands began to curl up in a defensive nature.

Finn heard a voice come from the door, "Hello, Mar-Mar." The voice was sickeningly cold. He still couldn't see much of the figure standing there, but could see flashes of dark-clothed limbs and a swishing black cape as it moved.

Marceline barely had time to utter out, "No…" in a tone filled as much with despair as disbelief before everything went to Hell. Finn couldn't explain what had happened, but in an instant he saw Marceline rocketed back into the stairwell; a visible shockwave trailing her and knocking him back to the floor.

He was merely knocked off his feet, and rather quick to get back up. Marceline, though, took the brunt of the force, and crashed hard enough to splinter the wooden stairs and leave a very evident indentation. Still, she was made of stern stuff, and it would take more than a little push to take her out.

Instinct kicked in, the instinct to protect herself and those she cared about, to kill any who threatened them, and she was swiftly back on her feet at the foot of the steps. She did her best not to look it, but the man could tell she was slightly rattled. He began to make his way towards her, slowly.

Fury overcame caution, and as soon as she was back up Marceline threw herself at the man, ready to level him with a vengeful haymaker. He jumped back a few feet, but she was traveling with enough velocity that he would have been unable to escape her reach.

In the instant it took her fist to travel from behind her head to the face of the man, something else rushed into the house and up to the intruder. Marceline was surprised to find her fist hadn't connected with the man's face, but instead was caught in the grasp of a massive white hand.

She looked past the man to observe the new player. It was some sort of hulking, vaguely humanoid creature. It almost looked a like an alien gorilla, but other than its shape it was completely featureless; almost like it had been molded from wax.

It had the grip of a titan, but thanks to her own inhuman strength and the odd greasy, waxy texture of the beast's skin she was able to barely pull her hand free of its clutch. Unfortunately, she didn't perform this with perfect grace, and stumbled back as she reclaimed her limb.

Seeing his chance, the cloaked wizard threw a magically enhanced punch directly into Marceline's gut, doubling her over. She felt the force reverberate throughout her body, almost feeling like her entire skeletal structure had been liquefied.

The man made a motion to the wax monster, who quickly got behind Marceline and grabbed hold of her in a bear hug, further emphasizing the pain in her stomach. She would have cried out if her diaphragm hadn't been flattened. As the one did this, a second monster made its way into the house.

Finn had been silently observing from the doorway, clutched by fear at what he had witnessed. He was almost in disbelief. Marceline, the seemingly indomitable vampire who could almost casually wipe out a cult's worth of savages, had just been bested by one man and a slouching beast.

He had no idea what to do; what could he do? He saw the man turn and take notice of him. His face was dark and merciless. He began making his way towards Finn, prompting him to back into the kitchen. He was frantically looking around, trying to come up with something, anything, he could use to defend himself.

He realized it would ultimately be futile. If Marceline couldn't stop the man then he had no chance. His only hope would be to get Marceline and free her. Maybe they could still escape together. He saw the man enter the kitchen. He approached Finn, who was backed in the corner by the dining room door, which was closed.

"You've got no chance chump. I'm taking you and Marceline with me. Why don't you just make it easier and fall over yourself." The wizard said threateningly. 'Wait…' Finn thought. 'How does he know Marceline?' He didn't have long to ponder this as the man came upon him. "Too late." He said as he swept a powered backhand at Finn,

Finn may not have been a fighter, but he was small as well as quick. He was able to duck under the man's arm, which collided with the wall, creating a sizable hole. Finn dashed for the door, hoping desperately that Marceline had come to and was fighting off the white monster.

Luck was not with them today, however. A foot away from the door, Finn saw another wax monster come out from the entrance end of the hall. Finn was going too fast to stop. He attempted to duck beneath the creature, hoping he could propel himself off of the opposite wall. Unfortunately, the beast's lumbering arm swept at Finn, snaking around his neck. The monster brought Finn up in a chokehold, facing away from it.

Finn was gasping for air and thrashing about, but the monster didn't budge. The man walked out of the kitchen and looked upon the helpless boy. 'Of all the people she could have had, she settled for him. This pathetic piece of garbage? A human and a slave to boot. And then that princess wants him too.' He squinted, as though in anger at Finn. 'What makes you so damn special?'

Unrestrained panic was slowly overwhelming Finn, a sensation he'd been without for many years. He was once more trapped, completely helpless and at the mercy of dangerous people who wanted to hurt him for things he couldn't control or was even aware of. What's more, the only one who had a chance of helping him was just a few feet away, totally unconscious and restrained by the white demon. That put a whole new spin on things. He'd felt helpless before, but now was so, so much worse. For now he wasn't just helpless, he was hopeless.

His mind was spiraling out, but somehow his mouth seemed to operate on its own. The man had been staring at Finn for a few minutes now, and without thinking he attempted to talk to him. "Why…" He croaked out, windpipe still slowly being compressed by the false musculature of his captor.

"Why did you do this…? What do you want?" Finn was barely able to force the words out. The man actually seemed to become angrier at his questioning. 'That worm. What makes him think he deserves to know? He knows nothing.'

In lieu of an answer, the wizard curled his fist and threw a punch into Finn's abdomen. It wasn't magically charged, but still had the force of unrighteous anger. Finn wheezed what little air he had out. The pain of the strike coupled with the slow crushing of his trachea and spine was becoming too much to bare.

"You're lucky, you know." The man said, still sounding inexplicably furious at him. "You're lucky you're wanted in one piece. Otherwise, I'd be doing a lot worse things to you. But right now I can't do anything that'll be permanent."

Finn was struggling to keep conscious at this point. He couldn't allow himself to pass out. He couldn't allow Marceline to be in danger. He couldn't… do anything. It was a lost battle, and he was powerless to help himself, much less Marceline.

Finn let himself go limp, conserving the tiny bit of energy he had left to last just a few more seconds, see Marceline just a little bit longer. The man saw his gaze lingering on her, and ground his teeth. He got one last cruelty in before Finn passed out. "Say goodbye kiddie. Cause after this, you're never gonna see her again." As last, unnecessary, measure, the man gathered energy in his palm, causing electricity to spark over it. He placed his hand on Finn's face and sent a massive jolt through him. Blinding pain was the last sensation Finn felt before he was thrown into the abyss.


	40. Chapter 40

Princess Bubblegum was in the midst of mixing several chemicals in her lab. She'd recently discovered a rather large cavern hosting a lake incredibly filled with an aqueous gold solution. If she was able to find a way to solidify the gold in the water she'd be able to increase her wealth by an unbelievable amount.

She was confident she'd arrive at the solution sooner or later. Truth be told, it was nice having something directly under her control for once. Having a problem that she could solve herself in a matter of days was helping to ease her mind. It was a calming contrast to her other "project", on which she was totally reliant on some uncouth rogue to bring to fruition.

The days were ticking by, slowly approaching the deadline Bubblegum's cohort had set for himself to turn over Finn to her. She was mostly anxious, fearful that he wouldn't fulfill his end of the bargain. That would require action on her part, and mean she'd wasted two years she could have been planning on her own. Still, she couldn't help but feel some excitement reliant on the tiny hope that he would, in fact, deliver on his promise.

She dropped several small pieces of silver into her flask, causing the yellow liquid to sizzle as a darker crystalline formation grew off of the silver; a promising sign. She turned around to grab a beaker from the other bench, but stopped abruptly when she caught sight of the all-too familiar black form she'd come to hate.

As the wizard saw her face curl into a frown he chuckled. "Is my presence really that upsetting to you Princess? I'd thought we'd come to grow beyond that." Bonnibel raised her eyebrow. 'He seems unusually arrogant today. More so than usual.' She thought.

She let out a heavy sigh, "Look. I really do have a busy schedule today, so if you have something to say would you please just hurry it along?" The Princess said in an exhausted manner. The man only let out another annoying laugh.

He spoke, "Something tells me you'll be cancelling a few appointments today. I brought you something. Left it up in your bedroom." Bubblegum's eyes slowly widened in disbelief as realization dawned on her.

"You're… you're telling the truth?" She asked. The man stepped off to the side, as if inviting her towards the door. "Have I ever lied? Of course, you're more than welcome to go see for yourself, it is your castle after all."

Bubblegum stood still, just looking at him for a few more seconds before slowly shifting her gaze to the door and walking out, almost as though in a trance, leaving him behind. She slowly made her way up the winding stairways and halls until she finally came to her personal chambers.

* * *

Bonnibel slowly opened her door, just wide enough to slip in, and entered, shutting the door behind her. She was immediately focused on the bed, upon which was lain an unfamiliar but oh so welcome sight.

It was him, the boy she'd so long desired to own. She was still in slight disbelief as she slowly approached her bed. The boy appeared to be unconscious, and was also bound tight with rope around his wrists, arms and ankles. He also had a strip of cloth tied tightly over his mouth.

She was all but hovering over the kid when the man's voice shook her out of her reverie and turned her attention back towards the door. "What'd I tell you? Here he is, unharmed… mostly, as promised."

"And what about Marceline?" Bonnibel asked. The man responded, "She's been… removed from the picture. It's really no concern of yours', but you can rest assured you won't be hearing from her." She could see the wizard end his phrasing with a cruel smile. It was almost enough to make her fearful for the Vampire Queen, but she soon rationalized that it was no issue of hers what happened to that woman.

"In that case, I believe our business has come to an end." The Princess spoke a little too hastily. She didn't care; she finally had her long desired specimen and now only desired for this character to be as far away from her as possible.

"Indeed, that does seem to be the case. It really has been a pleasure working with you, Princess. I do hope you'll keep in mind in the future the merit of finding the right person to make deals with." He said in his far too arrogant tone. "Of course" The Princess said, if just to appease him.

He let out one last sinister chuckle, "I will miss our little meetings princess, but I imagine you have… things to attend to. As do I, so for one last time, I bid you adieu." And with that, the man turned and slipped out her door. She was unconcerned about him being seen by guards, he'd more than proven himself capable of moving about undetected.

Finally, she was alone with her prize. She turned back to the boy, still out-cold, and slowly approached him. He was laying on his back, giving her a good look at him. He'd grown quite a bit since the last time she'd seen him, so many years ago. He still seemed so small, yet she couldn't deny that he'd become quite handsome.

She reached a hand out, letting it just hover over Finn's face for a moment before gently cupping her fingers around his cheeks. 'This is really happening. He's mine. That last human is all mine.' She thought, almost in reverence of Finn.

But reverence would imply she had held some manner of respect for the boy. That was far from accurate. She was his new owner, something she would force him to grow used to. She had no doubt the boy would have some… reservations about submitting to her after being in Marceline's clutches for so long.

That was okay. She'd seen the boy, he was an incredibly timid creature. It wouldn't take long for him to learn his new place as her slave now. Then, when she had totally broken him, bound him to her permanently, she'd could use him for the singular purpose she'd sought him out in the first place.

But for now, she'd have to come up with some arrangements for him. Now that her dealings with the wizard were over and done with, she could freely involve her servants with this new project. She had little to fear, everyone who worked in her castle was fiercely loyal to her, and wouldn't reveal the existence of the boy so long as she ordered them.

She called up two royal banana guards to her room, as well as a young lollipop woman, chief of her personal staff. The three were somewhat confused to see the strange creature lain out over the Princess's bed, but Bubblegum was quick to set them straight.

She first addressed the lollipop girl, "Ella, I want you to begin spreading the word around the staff. I've taken a new… guest, into my custody. It is to be made clear that he is never to be seen outside the premise of the castle, nor is his existence to be known by anyone outside the castle staff and guard force. Am I clear?"

The young woman, Ella, respectfully bowed her head. "Of course, Princess. I'll see to it at once." And was quickly off to perform her duty. The two guards were silently awaiting their Princess's orders, but before she could speak she heard a rustling motion back on her bed. She saw Finn twisting about as he slowly came to.

Finn's vision was slowly returning to him, though was at first very blurry. A severe pain thumped in his head and throat, causing him to groan weakly as he stirred. He didn't recall the events that had taken place prior to his being knocked unconscious, but he knew something was wrong when his vision began to set, and instead of familiar surroundings he found himself in a strange room he didn't recognize.

It slowly came to his mind what had been done to him and to his Mistress, but he was in too much of a pained haze to feel much panic. However, his sense of dread did grow larger as his eyes focused on the bright pink woman standing a few feet away. He vaguely recognized her, but couldn't quite place her in his memory.

She slowly approached him with a warm, yet somehow off-putting smile. He couldn't understand why, but Finn began to feel very uneasy as the woman approached him. It occurred to him he couldn't move his body, and looked down to see he had been tied up. He was quickly becoming more and more anxious as the admittedly pretty woman moved ever closer to him.

"Hello… Finn." She seemed to purr out, coolly. Her voice sounded so sweet, but still seemed to suggest an inherently evil nature. Wait a minute… that was it! The sound of her voice seemed to be the trigger to bring back Finn's brief memory of her. 'This is the woman that Marceline fought with that night we were arrested. She… she tried to buy me.'

Fear was growing evident on Finn's face. As the woman, the Princess, he recalled, started to lean over the bed, nearer to him, he tried his best to shuffle away from her. His cognitive functions were picking up speed, and every thought that raced through his mind had to do with the tragedy that had just befallen him and his mistress.

Some of these things managed to escape Finn's mouth. "Where am I? What's going on? Where's Marceline?" Bubblegum was mildly amused by the boy's fear, but became annoyed at the mention of Her name. Oh well, this behavior was to be expected, after all. She'd correct that in a short time.

So she closed her eyes and gave him a nice big smile before answering him. "In order? You're in the candy palace. You're owner will be me from now on. And Marceline is… gone." Finn's mind was still racing to make sense of recent events, causing him to speak hastily and with little thought.

"What? No… Mar… Marceline is my owner. I don't belong here." He spoke in quick, panicked voice. The Princess opened her eyes and stared directly into Finn's. She didn't lose her smile, but her demeanor became much more threatening. "I'm afraid that's changed now. As a slave I'm sure you must know that your kind are subject to abrupt transfers."

Finn, however, resisted. "No… no, that's not right! Marceline… she… we… that man! And he took her! Please, you can't do this! I have to help her!" His eyes began to tear as he pleaded with the Princess.

Bonnibel, though was unmoved. He was not behaving in the way she had expected. 'Of course, this must be Marceline's fault. Figures, she'd allow him to run amuck and lose sight of what he really is; just a dog off its leash. Well fine then, I suppose it's my job now to… retrain him.'

Her smile had nearly faded, and she spoke to him in an almost grave manner. "This is your reality now. You belong to ME. You'll only do as I wish from now on. You'll only live to serve me."

Finn continued to resist. "No... I belong to Marceline." He wanted to show his anger, show he wouldn't bend so easily to the Princess's whims, but his voice only came out a sniveling wreck.

The Princess let out an exasperated sigh. 'This may take some time.' She rose back up and walked over to her dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small black remote. Finn immediately recognized the device, even though he hadn't seen one in many years.

'If he won't listen to me, I'll just have to… coerce him.' She thumbed the switch. Finn immediately began to seize up and jerk around as electricity surged into his body from the collar. It had been so long since he felt this sensation, but the sting was still painfully familiar to him, like an old unwelcome companion. The shock was not powerful, but Bonnibel let it linger.

When she finally switched off the collar Finn fell back on the bed, totally immobilized, save for the few involuntary muscle spasms that often accompanied an electrical discharge. He breathed out in sharp, quivering gasps. Bubblegum walked over to the bed and sat on it, close to Finn's top end.

She leaned over him very close, so her mouth was right next to his ear. "I wish you could have just submitted to me. But now I have to break you. Be sure, you don't have any connection to Marceline any more. I am your mistress now."

She raised back up just far enough to look into his eyes again. Finn hated her eyes, those bright pink orbs that seemed to blind him. They were the antithesis of Marceline's serenely violet eyes. He wouldn't be able to handle this. He couldn't serve this woman.

She gave him another smile, but this one seemed truly sinister. Raising back up, she addressed the two guards who had been standing by the door, attentively awaiting their orders. "Take Finn here down to the dungeon and familiarize him with his new quarters. Don't rough him up too much."

"Yes, Princess" the two guards responded simultaneously. They came into her room only long enough to pick Finn up by his arms, dangling him helplessly in the air. Finn was still too stunned to offer any kind of resistance. So the two led him down the halls of his new prison. Finn wanted so badly to tear away, to fight them off. He had a duty to his mistress, his real one. He didn't want to give up, leave his life forfeit to this cruel woman. He didn't want to admit it, but some unperceivable part of him had already begun to crack.


End file.
